Severus Snape of the Counterstrike
by CapoExecutor
Summary: A small event can sometimes open new paths across the progression of time. After all, the future is never set or written in stone and this simple difference sets Severus down a new path that he had never imagined traveling on before. Sev/Lily
1. Prologue

Note: I don't own anything.

This is a redo as I realized on how choppy I made the Toaru timeline to be. Hence, why I'm redoing the chapters to better fit my agendas. Miracle of Endymion was very exciting BTW.

IIIIIIII

Cold rain fell from the sky as though it was weeping. The night covered the streets in darkness as the winds howled and blew fiercely across the empty pavements. A young thirteen year-old boy with sallow skin and wearing tattered clothing limped along the sidewalk, holding onto a trunk as though it was his only means of support.

Severus Snape was in tears, feeling as if the end of the world was approaching. He couldn't go back to Spinner's End after being kicked out by his drunken father Tobias. With the Evans on vacation abroad, Severus had nothing but the clothes on his back and a trunk containing his belongings. Since Eileen died last year, things had gotten worse as he could feel with the shattered bones in his body. Lightning crackled across the starless sky, barely providing illumination while the air and rain became colder like ice. Unable to remain conscious any longer due to his injuries, Severus slowly fell onto the sidewalk just beside the stairs of a church, welcoming nothing but the embrace of death to claim him and end his life of suffering.

At a grocery store, a young blond-haired woman named Ellen Hawkins had just finished gathering a fifth basket full of fresh and plump potatoes before heading out to the checkout counter. Given that the store was almost empty of customers, that lack of presence spared her from the glances that she would receive due to her nun attire. The clerk was puzzled more on the amount of potatoes that the nun was buying but didn't think any further as Ellen gave him the required amount of cash for her purchase.

After loading them into the small car, Ellen drove out of the parking lot before heading back to the convent. As she approached the church that she was residing at, the young nun caught sight of a young boy in tattered clothes and passed out on the steps with a trunk next to him.

"Oh dear!" Ellen quipped before stopping the car at the curb. Getting out, she quickly came over and saw the wounds that indicated abuse and beatings all over his body. Slowly, Ellen carried the young boy on her shoulder as though he was a wounded soldier before pounding her fist on the door frantically. Almost ten minutes passed before the doors opened to reveal a younger nun but with brown hair.

"Ellen? Who is this?" the red-haired nun asked.

"I don't know but I found him on the steps and he looks like he's been badly abused." Ellen spoke. "Leanne, can you drive the car into the garage for me please? I need to get him some medical attention."

The younger nun nodded before heading outside and drove the car off into the garage. Meanwhile, Ellen scooped Severus and, like a mother carrying her young child in her arms, the nun brought him to the infirmary before placing him on the bed.

"That doesn't look good." A feminine voice remarked and Ellen turned to see a green-haired nun.

"Cataline, I found him on the steps and he looks like he's been through hell." Ellen explained. "I know it's late but-"

"Don't worry, I'll have him patched up nice and new." Cataline spoke. "You go on and get some sleep."

"Thank you." Ellen replied before turning to the unconscious boy and leaning over to whisper in his ear. "Be at peace, dear child. You are safe now."

Ellen then stood up and left the infirmary before Cataline came over. The green-haired nun looked at the boy before recognition flared in her amber-gold eyes.

"So you're a magic-user, eh? I guess that makes my job a bit easier. Healing you and then cleaning you up." Cataline remarked before she reached into the cabinet and took out several vials of potions. After gathering a few more tools, she went to work that very night.

IIIIIIII

The chirping of the birds was faint in his ears but it was enough for Severus to wake up. As he opened his eyes, he found himself in a bed that was in what looked to be an infirmary of some sort. His surroundings had him completely puzzled as he remembered fainting on the streets in the cold rain.

Footsteps perked his ears that Severus turned his head in the direction of the sound before seeing a young nun with green-hair and amber-gold eyes.

"I see you're awake." The nun spoke. "I think healing you was far easier than cleaning you from head to toe. Honestly, I would've thought that wizards knew how to keep good hygiene."

The last sentence was like a rug being pulled out from underneath his feet as Severus tried to register what he had just heard before his jaw dropped. Seeing the puzzled expression of surprise on his face, the nun raised an eyebrow.

"Close your mouth, kid. You'll attract flies. My name is Cataline Albion and I'm in charge of the infirmary here." The nun spoke. "My sisters are all aware of the magical world and, despite our affiliation with the Church of England, several Anglican churches in the country and abroad practice magic in secret only to maintain a simple check and balance."

The second revelation felt like a cold wave of water washing over Severus, who was beginning to note a vast improvement in his personal hygiene. He felt lighter and cleaner than ever without any trace of odor. After processing what he had just heard, Severus spoke.

"I am Severus Snape." He began before asking. "You practice magic?"

"Yes, I do. Same can be said of my fellow brothers and sisters." Cataline replied bluntly.

"I always thought that Christians viewed magic to be unholy." Severus said.

"That's true but there are those who are able to see it as more of an instrument and not be blinded by the old Christian views." Cataline replied bluntly. "Prayers for divinely will to intervene and incantations for spells to induce an effect aren't very different from each other. Exorcisms and blessings can be included into the spectrum as well. Read and research the history of Christian views regarding magic and you might find your own answers."

Clearing her throat, Cataline continued. "Anyways, you've been asleep past lunch time but I think Ellen saved you some food. Those fried potato wedges that she makes are pretty good and Henrietta's fried fish is out of this world."

Slowly, Severus got out from under the blanket before seeing that he was wearing the robe of a monk.

"Last night, those clothes were like dirty rags so I threw them away and dressed you in that." Cataline spoke offhandedly before seeing the surprised look on Severus's face. "What? You know, Adam and Eve were naked in the Garden of Eden and God saw them every day. Unlike my fellow sisters, I'm not squeamish when it comes to the anatomy of a human male."

"You must be very brave then." Severus remarked.

"Nah, I'm just carefree and indifferent to such things." Cataline replied bluntly. "Come on. Oh and your trunk is in the guest quarters. I'll lead you there after lunch."

As Cataline left the infirmary, Severus followed her out before entering a corridor. Eventually, they reached a bridge that connected the building that they were in at the second floor to the second floor of the church. As Cataline and Severus crossed the bridge, the latter heard the sounds of Mass before they reached the other side.

"Are they having Mass right now?" Severus asked.

"No, just a special meeting." Cataline answered before she heard footsteps and saw a blonde nun that looked about eighteen-years of age approach her.

"Cataline, the runes to the entrance of underground corridors are damaged." The nun reported. "None of us can realign them."

"Have you tried the alternative passages?" Cataline asked.

"Already did. We're just asking for you because Evangeline is out of town and Rozalyn is running errands." The nun replied.

"Severus, can you wait here until I get back?" Cataline asked.

"Yes, of course." Severus replied.

"Alright then." Cataline spoke before following the nun.

Left with no company, Severus looked around the vast space of the corridor while hearing Mass occur on the floor below. Somehow, even though he had never been to a church in a long time, the sounds of heavenly music and trickling water provided a calm soothing to his spirit.

It wasn't long before he heard a feminine voice speak loudly. At first, he thought it was probably just a sermon but as he moved closer to the door on the second floor that lead to the choir section that overlooked the nave, Severus was not only proven wrong but was surprised by what he was hearing.

"_All those that are here are wondering on what purpose I am seeking. Let me first tell you that there is no "I" whatsoever. This is a culmination of efforts that have planted the foundation, fueled by the trials and oppression that have longed plagued our forebears in the magical world. Just think for a moment to a time when you first received your letter from a prestigious institute such as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. What thoughts raced through your mind? Were you scared, confused, or perhaps... excited? Regardless of what you have felt, there is no doubt in my mind that you all have started venturing into the world of magic. After all, you all are here with the ability to do magic and are currently being educated in the many branches of magic by professors and individuals that have preceded your time. For many of us, the transition from the mundane conditions of the Muggle world that we had grown up in all of our lives to the enchanting wonders of the magical world that was new and even foreign to us has in some way affected us no matter how minute. Do you welcome a drastic and radical change that can greatly benefit your own life? I should hope so, otherwise you would've denounced magic by now and returned to the Muggle world._

_While there are good things about the magical world, there are also bad things that exist. Some of you may have parents or grandparents that have heard of or experienced these dark times of the past. Others may not have. Ask someone if they remember the times when those that value the purity of magical blood have oppressed those that showed magical ability but have come from the Muggle world. Have you ever been targeted and harassed by people because of your blood lineage? Have you been called a Mudblood or have been persecuted in some way just for being a Muggle-born witch or wizard?_

_By now, many would think that it is alright to just bow your heads and endure such despicable acts. A simple turning of the other cheek without thinking about it. There are those that try to seek justice for these grievous injuries through the legal system but the result rules in favor of those that have the gold to give to the right people. Can you honestly live in such a world where pedigree is valued above personal ability? Is it alright for anyone to go unpunished for their crimes? For too long, those of us with Muggle descent have been given the short end of the stick by a magical world that remains in such a stagnant form and is run by the aristocratic purebloods that believe their influence, pedigree, and wealth grants them the unchallenged privilege to do whatever they wish to those that they see as inferior._

_We were not born into this world to become prey to the privileged few! We were brought out of the Muggle world and into the magical world through the gift of magic that runs through and is tied to our existences! Neither of us should let these purists step all over the first-generation nor shall we turn the other cheek for them to strike! Every action has consequences and it is time that they realize that what they sow is what they shall reap, no matter what! Defend not only for yourselves but also for your children and the future generations that have yet to come! Most importantly, do NOT run away from the problem for simply yielding to the purists is the same as acknowledging their actions!_

_Whether you have heard this or not, the purebloods believe that us Muggle-borns have stolen magic and that we are the reason that Squibs exist. Do not let this belief hinder you for it is not true whatsoever and we shall not be used as scapegoats for the mistakes of the purebloods! Their inbreeding throughout the centuries for the sake of their so-called purity of blood has stifled their descendents greatly and more Squibs have appeared frequently among their number than ever before. Thus, that is their problem to deal with and the Muggle-borns are not at fault for their mistakes. Always remember that! _

_Now some of you may be wondering on how we have been able to use magic as they have. Though it is of random chance that magic has revealed itself and manifested in our very being, some of our predecessors had discovered the reason as to why he have the gift of magic. It is called the Mandate of Divinity. Yes, the magic that we, as faithful Muggle-borns in service of the Holy Lord, have was ordained by the will of Heaven with the hopes that we serve the betterment of the world with our gifts. Long ago, after the passing of the Christ, the Twelve Apostles were granted the gift of magic to perform miracles in order to show that the Son of God was here and real. But with the martyrdom and old age claiming the Holy Disciples, they made a pact called the Covenant of Obligated Rite where they had magic to search out those that are worthy of wielding it and guide humanity into the Grace of Heaven. You are much better than the purebloods, whose roots of magic came from the fallen angels that followed Lucifer! They may claim that their lineage holds purity but we are the blessed with the gift of magic bestowed upon us by our Holy Lord!_

_Thus, this gift of magic that we, the Muggle-borns, wield are gifts, showing that we are worthy in the eyes of the Heaven to wield it and that we shall continue doing so without hindrance. As you continue on with life, know that God has blessed you with the gift of magic and it is our sacred duty to do what we must to bring peace to the world that we live in. Do not ever forget this! What you do now shall determine the course of everything in life and the Holy Lord shall be watching over you. As you leave, always remember this: What future do you desire? I, for one, choose life with dignity and happiness! What say the rest of you?!"_

Severus was left speechless while trying to process what he had just heard. Was this some sort of anti-pureblood religious group made of Muggle-borns that followed the Christian faith? Since the pureblood supremacists and Death Eaters showed their anti-Muggle tendencies to the world itself, he had never heard of a complete opposite side before.

"Hello!" a feminine voice spoke before Severus turned to see a nun with blond hair and with a motherly aura. "I am Ellen Hawkins and I think after hearing about all this, you must be wondering on what is going on."

"I'm just surprised but yes, I do wonder about that." Severus managed to speak. What he had just heard sounded like information overload.

Ellen smiled. "Cataline is taking more time on repairing the runes than anyone thought so she told me where you were. Here, let's go eat and I'll answer your questions after you've been fed and watered."

As Severus followed Ellen, he could only wonder on what he had just discovered today.

IIIIIIIIII


	2. Three Years Later

Note: I don't own anything.

By now, some of you might notice that I've borrowed some things from Toaru no Majutsu Index aka A Certain Magical Index and placed them in the story. It's not necessary a crossover as I've changed even those additions a bit to suit my own ends. Honestly, it's kind of difficult to come up with unique Christianity-based magic.

IIII:::IIII

Three years had passed since Severus found himself in the company of the "congregation" that made up the Anglican Church of St. Paul before they welcomed him into their home. Though it was much better than Spinner's End, Severus found himself having to do quite a number of chores during the time when he wasn't studying magic, not that he had any problems as they were moderately light most of the time but have proven to be a bit taxing on some days. The inhabitants of the church were very pleasant, though Severus somewhat favored Sisters Orsola and Lucia; the former being motherly although the blond twenty-five year old nun was a bit of an airhead while the younger latter was serious and strict as those traits made her capable of exerting authority to command a majority of the nuns despite her being only eighteen. It had only been a few months ago that the Necessarius had welcomed a whole congregation of nuns that had left the Roman Catholic Church after events in Japan, which brought Orsola Aquinas to the group, and later in Italy, which later resulted in Agnese Sanctis and a paramilitary group of nuns. Severus didn't know on what went on in Japan but the Italy issue had something to do with the Queen of the Adriatic Fleet.

Throughout his stay while skipping his third, fourth, and fifth years of Hogwarts in favor of alternative education from a combination of the clergy and private tutors, Severus experienced a difference. No longer did he have to cower in fear from his good-for-nothing father at home when studying magic as he could certainly practice it freely in the presence of the monks and nuns that were also testing out their magical abilities in the church. He had even begun learning how to cast the unique spells that they knew and utilize the various inventions that they created. Taking Cataline's constructive remarks to heart, Severus placed greater effort in improving his personal hygiene, hoping to maintain the exact degree of cleanliness that the green-haired nun had done to him. He cut his hair down to a fine trim, making it easier to clean while not giving him the appearance of someone with greasy hair. Severus had even spent a longer time in the shower than he normally did back when living at Spinner's End. During his three-year absence from the magical world's public radar, Severus learned that his father was killed by Muggle robbers during what would have been his fourth-year at school while his old home was ransacked. Well, he had no reason to return and was secretly not sorry about his last living parent ending up dead.

Amidst the change of atmosphere for the better, Severus was amazed on the impression that one simple yet lengthy conversation with Ellen Hawkins had left on him shortly after his initial arrival.

"_No need to rush, dear child." Ellen commented lightly as she watched Severus devour the fish and chips meal a bit hastily before sipping some tea. The meal room was empty save for the pair and minutes passed before Severus cleaned his plate and cup of tea. Ellen wandlessly banished both._

"_Regarding your question earlier, what you saw was a rallying sermon for the anti-pureblood extremists that live amongst our brothers and sisters." Ellen began. "Just like there are witches and wizards that despise those that are not purebloods, there are witches and wizards that abhor those of pureblood descent as well. Hatred is never one-sided."_

"_How is that possible? I always thought that Christianity, regardless of the differing sects, preached about love from God." Severus spoke._

"_That is true but no matter how well we follow our Holy Lord's teachings, straying and mistakes will still plague us." Ellen answered. "Many have come to understand that hatred and intolerance, no matter how undesirable, came from human nature and they exist as the antithesis to love and acceptance. We would never truly know what love is without the existence of hatred in life. I only hope that the extremists that are our brothers and sisters will understand some day on where the course of their ideals will take them. I wish I could tell you more but I'm bound by oath to never talk about the more intimate details outside the church."_

_Severus could somewhat grasp the gist of Ellen's explanation before eventually nodding in understanding when he thought about his parents; a loving magical mother and a hating Muggle father. At least he could understand that much when it came to his experiences with them._

"_I'm still unable to truly comprehend so I'll ponder on that later." Severus spoke before asking further about the anti-pureblood group and how it arose. He even offered to take an Unbreakable Oath on his magic to keep silent on the issue._

"_It's a long story and I'll get to it later. I do want you to know that you are welcome to make your home here with us if you desire." Ellen spoke._

_Severus was at a crossroads on whether he should make the oath or refrain from asking further. Then again, the atmosphere of the church made him more relaxed and at peace such that he didn't want to leave. It seemed better than staying at Spinner's End so it didn't take him long to decide._

"_I want to stay here as my new home and I will take an oath to never disclose anything pertaining to the secrets regarding the church." Severus spoke with conviction in his voice._

_Ellen smiled before taking the silver Anglican Cross off and held it before Severus, instructing him to place his right hand over it._

"_Do you swear on your magic to uphold the obscurity of all secrets of the church and never reveal them to the outside willingly?" Ellen asked as the cross began to glow a silver-white._

"_I do." Severus answered without hesitation._

"_While you are still a child, do you swear to never betray me or the church that you have accepted as your new home?" Ellen asked._

"_I do." Severus answered without hesitation once more._

_Ellen nodded as the cross glowed before she spoke. "I, Ellen Hawkins, accept your oaths."_

_The blond nun then placed the cross back over her neck. "When you reach adulthood, you'll be released from the second oath as I want you to have the freedom to choose your path in life. I don't know how long you'll be staying but I have a feeling that you have great aspirations in the magical world."_

_Clearing her throat, Ellen spoke. "It started a long time ago when magic was persecuted and the mundane were bewitched. From the medieval times, magical people generally held the advantage against those that sought to persecute them and so many innocents had been mistakenly killed. I'm sure you've known as much from the History of Magic class that is taught at Hogwarts. But there was one event that nearly destroyed magical Britain and that was the war started by the Necessarius, the Church of Necessary Evil."_

"_The Church of Necessary Evil?" Severus asked in surprise. He had never heard of this before, especially in History of Magic although Culbert Binns seemed more focused into goblin rebellions as the main staple._

"_It was a group that consisted of the Anglican clergy along with monks and nuns that were part of the Church of England. Most if not all individuals were capable of using magic." Ellen replied before giving Severus a history lesson. "The group of magical clergy started during the era of witch hunts and all of its members learned magic in order to fight magic on an equal footing. Though they were a part of the Church of England, the group was looked down upon and eventually driven out by the Puritans. The group settled in St. George's Cathedral and slowly grew in power. But it was in 1585 that a group of Muggle-born witches and wizards offered their services to the Church of England on assisting in their inquisitional hunt and persecution of the magical world. After hearing their request for an audience being rejected, the magical clergy stepped in and accepted them. With their combined knowledge and fresh ingenuity, the magical clergy and its new allies not only taught and trained Anglican priests that were capable in using magic but even went further by experimenting and creating their own unique spells and inventions that greatly deviated from the mainstream. For five years, it was only development and silent monitoring of the magical world that they sought to destroy until 1590. That year, they went out and assisted in the anti-occult inquisition, following a fight fire-with-fire policy by using the very powers that were considered blasphemous in the eyes of Christianity. Calling themselves the Necessarius or the Church of Necessary Evil, they assisted in tracking down and capturing many witches and wizards prior to confirmation on authentic catches, which they later executed. Some of the Necessarius went further by engaging in acts of terrorism such that communities in the magical world were decimated and even entire family lines were wiped out. Even some Quidditch games in magical Britain were targeted by them. The Wizard's Council was thrown in disarray by the activities of the Necessarius for ten years, given that they could easily strike without warning before blending in with the Muggle clergy of the local churches. It was only in 1600 that a failed raid on Hogwarts exposed the existence of the Necessarius to the Wizard's Council, which took action against every church in Britain in order to draw the covert group out into the open. The defeat of the Necessarius came at the Battle of Canterbury Cathedral in 1610, ending in a pyrrhic victory for the fledging Ministry of Magic that became the governing body of magical Britain that we know today. Despite the defeat, the Necessarius had retreated into the shadows with a good amount of their followers before they eventually yet secretly took over the Church of England, whom had been severely weakened by the loss of their power base in Canterbury. Of course, two years later, the Goblin Rebellion came about."_

_During Ellen's explanation, Severus could barely imagine what he was hearing. A Muggle-born uprising was started by a group that was part of the Church of England? Twenty years of turmoil because of this event? Oh, Severus was completely enamored and awestruck by this information, which he certainly would never reveal to anyone that wasn't part of the church._

"_Why would they be so hell-bent on destroying magical Britain like that?" Ellen asked._

"_Aside from the political and social injustices done to them, they had seen magic being used to manipulate others or seize control of their free will as the Imperious Curse is known to do." Orsola answered. "It wasn't uncommon for love potions to be used along with various other magical means to meddle in the affairs of Muggles. Young couples being broken up by a jealous witch that wanted the man or a wizard that wanted the woman, young virgins being raped and then Obliviated of the memories, families torn apart by enchantments that influence emotions. These were just some reasons out of many. One Muggle-born woman that was part of the original group, Helena Stuart, was claimed by the Prewitt family in her time as a concubine before watching as her family was killed to prevent her with a means of retaliating, all with approval from the Wizards' Council favoring the Prewitts. She later fled and managed to join others that shared her views before being elevated as the supreme leader during the extreme years of the Necessarius's activities up to the Battle of Canterbury where she was killed."_

"_All of this sounds so amazing but why isn't this in the history books?" Severus asked._

"_The purebloods that hold power in the government are too embarrassed that a Muggle-born witch had gotten the better of them for so long and nearly destroyed magical Britain." Ellen explained. "Being bested by a Muggle-born is bad enough, but the fact that it was a woman as well was a double knockout to them in a magical world where men made themselves supreme. They'll do anything to keep this event from seeing the light of day in the magical world. But that doesn't mean that we don't have journals and Pensieve memories to prove that it happened. It's one reason why there are so many monks and nuns here and elsewhere to guard our respective archives." Orsola replied before adding. "Though it's unfortunate that Helena Stuart had died, some of the Necessarius had survived to continue living in the shadows without letting anyone in the magical world know that they are still alive. Though the original goal of destroying magical Britain is no longer viable, that doesn't mean that the Necessarius won't take action if the Ministry cannot stop this self-styled Dark Lord and reform their government."_

Even though three years have passed since that conversation, Severus could feel that it was just yesterday when a whole new truth had been revealed to him. Even though he hadn't been to Hogwarts, that didn't mean he couldn't sit the OWLs, which he did during the winter of 1975. His results came out with Outstandings in almost all of his subjects while only his History of Magic came out with an Acceptable. Somehow, he had a feeling that some of the essay questions that he had answered with content that he had learned from the library at the church were either not well received or just flat out considered to be invalid. Despite the grade, Severus knew that the subject lacked true definite and objectively correct answers more often than others. History was generally written by the victors and viewpoints twisted objective facts.

Currently at the moment, Severus was still at the church, packing his things before he was to leave during the evening. It was September 6th and he knew that he had missed possible classes on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday due to further training and creating a convincing story involving his unexplained disappearance. With an authentic copy of his OWL results, it was time for him to head back to Hogwarts for the first time in three years. He wondered on how much had changed since his unexplained absence but the biggest obstacle would be the amount of questions that would be fielded towards him by his Head of House and possibly the Headmaster, whom the current archbishop had personally warned him to be weary of due to his habit of using Legilimency. It wasn't often that Severus would be addressed by Laura Stuart herself but he took her word with utmost seriousness. Then there would be questions from his fellow classmates, one of them being Lily Evans. Even though he couldn't reveal everything to her, Severus would at least be the most truthful to her in his answers than he would with others.

Moments later, Severus left the church before taking the Floo Network at the empty house across the street for Hogsmeade.

IIIII:::::IIII

That very evening under a large anti-Apparition Jinx, chaos was running rampant in Diagon Alley as a group of new initiate Death Eaters were led by Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange were having fun. It was by chance that Fenrir Greyback and some of his associates tagged along, hoping to revel in the carnage. While the attack was primarily diversionary as ordered to be by the Dark Lord Voldemort, whom was leading another attack of his own at the Ministry with most of his inner circle, he had also allowed both of them to have a bit of leisure of their own while leading initiates and letting them contribute in showing off power and capabilities in order to prove themselves. Curses were being fired left and right as people were running for their lives. Some were struck down and killed instantly, leaving dead bodies behind. Some people were tortured while begging for mercy before being either killed or bitten.

A few minutes into their initial attack passed before the group split up to hunt down targets in different locations. Bellatrix and Rodolphus had gone into the Slug and Jiggers Apothecary before seeing a familiar face. It was none other than Andromeda Tonks and her husband Ted Tonks alongside some of the people that were running from one direction.

"Well, hello there, Andi!" Bellatrix cackled, catching Andromeda's attention before sending the Killing Curse at her. But a swift movement pushed Andromeda to the ground before she turned to see Ted Tonks being struck by the Killing Curse. As in slow motion, the man slowly fell to the ground with lifeless eyes that showed that he was dead instantly.

"Teddy! Teddy!" Andromeda screamed, frantically shaking her dead husband. Already, the body of Ted Tonks was cold as clay before the realization that he was dead registered in Andromeda's mind. Bellatrix's cackling laughter drew her attention as Andromeda turned to face her elder sister with an expression of fiery rage written all over her face.

"You!" Andromeda screamed before she non-verbally sent the Cruciatus Curse at Bellatrix, who shrieked as she fell to her knees. Rodolphus had been momentarily stunned in seeing the sadistic maniacal look on Andromeda's face and how it made his sister-in-law look exactly like Bellatrix when his wife was having fun. Yet, hearing her screams drew him out of his stupor before he sent a Bludgeoning Hex at Andromeda, who had been too focused in putting her hate and desire to hurt into the curse that she had Bellatrix under to notice the threat. The incoming spell connected to her right knee and Andromeda collapsed on the ground, grabbing her right leg in pain.

Breathing heavily as she tried to regain herself, Bellatrix couldn't believe the amount of power and pain that Andromeda could put into the Cruciatus Curse, a first time in seeing her younger sister's dark side manifesting and being drawn out. Yet, amid being tortured, Bellatrix managed to use Legilimency on Andromeda and finding out that she had given birth to one Nymphadora Tonks before withdrawing a moment later.

"Andi, Andi. That wasn't very nice. I was just doing you a favor after all. A gift to you from me." Bellatrix cooed in a sing-song voice. "Maybe little Nymphadora might scream much louder for Rodolphus and I to see."

"Leave my daughter out of this!" Andromeda snapped. "She's innocent!"

"Oh, I'm just doing my part in pruning undesirables off the Black line." Bellatrix sneered before pointing her wand at Andromeda. "But first, I think I'll have fun with you before sending you off to meet your Mudblood husband. Crucio!"

Andromeda screamed in pain before Rodolphus joined in with his own Cruciatus Curse, causing his sister-in-law to scream even louder. Amid the excruciating torture, Andromeda's maternal instincts to protect the last legacy of her dead husband that was her child gave her strength enough to send a powerful Blasting Curse at her sister and brother-in-law. While her aim was a little short off the mark, the explosion blasted Bellatrix and Rodolphus back and, even though the shockwave wasn't enough to kill them, it was more than enough to break the combined Cruciatus Curse that they cast on her. Despite the amount of pain still on her nerves, Andromeda was running on adrenaline before she began running down Diagon Alley, intending to get out of the range of the anti-Apparition Jinx first in order to Apparate home and raise the wards.

Recovering from the blast, Bellatrix got to her feet before seeing Andromeda running off. The distance was too far for her to catch up but it wasn't too far for her to cast the Killing Curse or a Blasting Curse if she wanted to get messy. Bellatrix decided to go with the latter just as Rodolphus got to his feet while Fenrir Greyback along with three of his untransformed werewolf subordinates joined up with them.

"Aren't you going to go after her?" Rodolphus asked.

"Andi is as good as dead and she won't be able to escape my lasting part gift to her at this range." Bellatrix replied with a sadistic tone. "Oh well. Goodbye, little sister."

But just as Bellatrix was about to cast her strongest Blasting Curse, a young woman landed in the direction of her aim. The newcomer wore a dark yellow kirtle over a brown long-sleeve undershirt with removable dark yellow sleeves and wearing a headscarf that had a headband with a crown of thorns on the outside. She was also carrying a large hammer that has as long as her own height with the head being a large thick metallic cross with pointed ends and heavily wrapped in barbed wire. The newcomer had her back turned towards Bellatrix and her cohort.

"Tck…" Bellatrix clicked before sending the Blasting Curse at the newcomer that dared to step in her line of fire. The huge purple beam of light struck home before a loud explosion along with a thick cloud of smoke and stone debris erupted into the air due to the shockwave. But as Bellatrix watched, the cloud of smoke and stone debris suddenly began to swirl away like a tornado before vanishing to reveal the unknown stranger completely unfazed, much to their shock.

"It's a shame that all of you inbred sinners have no class." The newcomer spoke before turning towards Bellatrix and the Death Eaters, revealing her face. What was once beautiful was now tarnished by the many piercings on her face and ears, which had crosses hanging off her earrings.

"And who the hell are you to even talk to us like this?" Rodolphus inquired, placing a hand on his wife's shoulder as though asking her not to speak.

"She's just some foul Mudblood." Bellatrix screeched before feeling her Dark Mark burn.

"Yet she's quite a tasty find as well." Fenrir sneered.

"Fenrir, why don't you and your associates take care of her? I'm sure you all are eager to sink your teeth into her virgin flesh." Rodolphus suggested as he too felt his Dark Mark burn before he and Bellatrix turned to leave.

"Such a shame." The newcomer spoke. "So the lovely couple has no intention of fighting?"

"We have better things to do than waste time with you." Bellatrix replied before she and Rodolphus walked off.

"Tut, tut." The newcomer spoke, watching the pair Disapparate. "Looks like those two obviously judge too quickly but then again, the purebloods are hardly ever for investigating things thoroughly. No matter, it's a small matter. I guess I will just have to take care of business now in burning the chaff that stands before me. So little doggies, are you all ready to have fun? Remember my name as Vento of the Front!"

With a sinister chuckle, Vento stuck on her tongue out to reveal her tongue piercing that had a thin chain attached to a cross such that Fenrir and his three subordinates were slightly amused by the display, unaware that there was more to their prey than meets the eye.

IIIII::::IIIII

The moment that Severus emerged from the fireplace in the Hog's Head, he noticed that it was surprisingly a student weekend going on outside before heading out of the pub. Given his short hair and clean-cut appearance along with his three-year absence, Severus looked like an unfamiliar face. By chance, he had even crossed paths with Peter Pettigrew and the latter didn't recognize him on eye-contact either. Severus didn't know if the Marauders were present before he heard a loud shout coming from a voice that had familiar words.

"NO POTTER! I'M NOT INTERESTED WHATSOEVER!"

"Come on, Evans! Can't you be reasonable for once?!"

"NOT IF IT INVOLVES YOU! SOD OFF!"

The sound of spellfire followed along with a loud shriek and Severus managed to arrive in time to see James Potter running off with a bunny tail protruding from his rear end. He then turned to find Lily leaning against the wall of a nearby store, breathing heavily with her wand still out. If Severus thought that Lily was cute back in their younger years, he had to admit that she was the true epitome of a redhead babe although he had seen beauties with crimson hair. Still, they didn't match up with his childhood friend.

"Quite the persistent fellow, isn't he?" Severus asked as he came up to her.

"You have no idea." Lily answered before she turned to look at him, a glint of recognition in her eyes yet she couldn't place a face. "Are you new?"

"Not really, Lily." Severus answered casually.

"How did you know my name?" Lily asked quizzically yet inside, she had a feeling that she had met him before.

"We've met before." Severus spoke before dropping the bombshell hint. "I remember a time when you and your older sister Petunia were on a playground where you showed accidental magic when you were nine. When I said you were a witch, you thought I was calling you a bad name."

"Sev?!" Lily gasped with shock as she looked more closely at him. She had never seen Severus with short hair before and his clean-cut appearance had made him nearly recognizable. His nose was also different, looking more well-formed instead of crooked and hooked.

"Lils, it's been a long time." Severus replied before finding himself in a bone-crushing hug as Lily literally tackle-hugged him right on the spot.

"Where have you've been all this time?!" Lily asked after she let go. "I came by but your father said you ran away. Then in fourth year, he was robbed and killed."

Lily then slapped Severus's chin before aggressively ranting. "You never called or wrote letters! Why?! Did you know how worried I was?! I thought the Death Eaters might have captured or killed you!"

Severus rubbed the redden part of his face. "I'm sorry for not staying in contact with you. I really have no excuse. Please forgive me."

Lily smiled before kissing the area on his chin that she had slapped earlier and answering with a sly grin. "You'll have to earn my forgiveness, Sev. But you look so healthy and handsome that I didn't recognize you!"

"Yeah, well. The nuns at the Anglican Church of St. Paul gave me what I think is called a complete makeover. It's hard at first for me to keep the standards but I got used to it after a while." Severus replied.

"The Anglican Church of St. Paul? You were there the whole time?" Lily asked incredulously.

Severus nodded. "It seemed a lot better than an orphanage at least. I had to earn my keep but it was much better living there than at Spinner's End."

"I felt some muscles in your arms." Lily giggled before noticing the time. "Oh, visiting hours are almost over. We should head back."

Severus nodded before he and Lily walked back to the castle. Along the way, both of them did a lot of catching up on a variety of topics. Severus kept the topic of the Necessarius out of the conversation while talking out what he had been doing during the three years that he was gone. Lily was impressed by Severus's OWL score sheet with the exception of his mark in History of Magic. But she was more surprised that the Anglican clergy at St. Paul Church were magically aware and some even studied magic independently. She then talked about how the junior Death Eaters were becoming a major annoyance but it was Potter and his cronies that were the worst ever since Severus had been gone. Severus couldn't doubt that James Potter and his gang had benefited greatly in his absence but since he was back in school, he was going to greatly disappoint them.

By the time they reached the castle, Severus and Lily found Professor McGonagall at the doors and the Deputy Headmistress was surprised.

"Mr. Snape?"

Severus nodded yet was on the edge with the Gryffindor Head of House. Nonetheless, he decided to remain as civil as he could be. "Professor McGonagall. Is the Headmaster in? I need to speak to him about my attendance for sixth year. I forwarded my OWL scores to the school back on August 31st."

"Yes, I'm very aware of that although I want to know on why you have not shown up on Sept. 1st." McGonagall asked curtly. "And there's also the issue regarding your unexplained disappearance during your third, fourth, and fifth years."

"I was feeling very ill with the flu so I stayed home." Severus answered, handing her a Healer's note. "As for my unexplained disappearance, I ran away from home and lived elsewhere. I needed a break and time to adjust to a new life."

"I see." McGonagall replied as she took the note and nodded. "In any case, both of you head to the Great Hall."

"Very well, Professor." Severus replied before he and Lily headed to the Great Hall. Once they entered, Lily kissed the side of Severus's mouth before heading to the Gryffindor table where she was swarmed by the girls.

"Lily, who was that guy?"

"For a snake, he sure was hot!"

"Is he your boyfriend?"

Lily merely smiled as she answered. "That was Severus Snape. All other questions, I plead the fifth from the English Bill of Rights."

A resounding cry of "WHAT?!" erupted from the Gryffindor table, all of whom were now aware. Sirius Black glared darkly at Severus but none more than James Potter. Even Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew were casting hateful glances at the Slytherin.

Once he arrived and took a seat at the Slytherin table, Severus found himself accosted by Avery, Rosier, and Wilkes.

"Well, the prodigal son returns to our glorious house." Avery spoke.

"We'd like to know where you've been, Snape." Wilkes added.

"There has to be a reason for your abandonment." Rosier added.

"Gentlemen, I have nothing to say other than the fact that I was enjoying a nice vacation." Severus answered before taking a sip of fruit punch from his goblet.

"In any case, we've been getting ready to step forward and serve the Dark Lord while you were gone." Avery spoke with authority. "You've got a lot of catching up to do."

"If you think I'm going to kowtow to some cutthroat bastard, then I'll save you the trouble and make it clear that he isn't worth my time to serve." Severus declared boldly.

"Is it because of that Mudblood that you walked in here with?" Rosier sneered. "That's low, blood traitor. Mudbloods and Muggles have no place in the world."

"I'm a half-blood and I find it stupid that your chosen terminology is misused on definitions." Severus spoke before standing up and glaring at Rosier. "I think you're jealous of Lily because you have been trounced constantly by a first-generation witch in class ever since you've stepped foot into the school and you still are if my guessing the possible low scores on your OWLs are correct."

Rosier was about to launch himself at Severus only to be held back by Avery and Wilkes. But Severus, feeling a bit overconfident, decided to bait them further in a slightly louder voice. "Did your mothers had to whore themselves out just to get you better OWL scores? I bet they put the local brothels out of business if they had to resort to using Amortenia and Lust potions just to get laid and then paid big time."

Just as he predicted, Rosier broke free from Avery and Wilkes, both of whom were beyond provoked at Severus's remarks that they wanted to pound him in. Ducking a swing from Rosier while spinning out to the side in evasion, Severus delivered a vicious round-the-house kick to back of his head with his right leg before grabbing the back of his foe's robes while still in motion before using all his strength to throw him into Wilkes, knocking the wind out of him that both were on the ground. Avery tried to punch Severus only to find his wrist caught in the latter's grip. Severus wasted no time in delivering a left leg sweep that took Avery off the ground before landing a clothesline to his diaphragm with his right arm. The sudden takedown of the trio in only a matter of seconds had drawn more than just the attention of every student in the Great Hall that were on their feet.

"MR. SNAPE! JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING ATTACKING OTHER STUDENTS IN YOUR OWN HOUSE?!" the unmistakable voice of Albus Dumbledore roared with authority, scaring the student population that all of them quickly sat in their seats. Yet Severus remained standing without an iota of fear in his posture and expression. Rather, his stance wasn't unlike the defiance that Lucifer had when he faced God before being cast from Heaven.

"It's only a simple case of reacting to an immediate danger that they presented, Headmaster." Severus answered calmly just as the Headmaster and the Slytherin Head of House arrived on the scene. Dumbledore's eyes had the twinkle present, a sure sign of passive Legilimency being used. While Severus didn't think his Occlumency barriers were up to par yet, he could sense the contact lenses easily repelling the Legilimency probe.

"You should've gone to a faculty member if that was the case. Violence will not solve anything." Dumbledore spoke. "Fifty points from Slytherin and a detention for all four of you."

Now Severus would've objected as he often did whenever he both lost points and gotten detention for fighting Potter and his gang, all of whom Dumbledore apparently favored. But instead, Severus merely shrugged indifferently as though saying that he didn't give a damn.

Dumbledore certainly wasn't expecting this reaction or his inability to see into Severus's mind. The once meek Slytherin that had been bullied apparently became strong and confident. Did it have anything to do with his three-year absence that his guardian said was a sabbatical? The Headmaster felt that he may need to keep an eye on him before walking back to the main table.

Severus turned his Head of House, who asked in a tone that sounded mostly serious with a hint of amusement behind it. "Who taught you all that, Mr. Snape?"

"I'm friends with a former Taiwanese Intelligence Agent that I met during my three-year sabbatical." Severus answered.

"Apparently, Dumbledore has left your detention in my hands. See me in my office after dinner as I must discuss about your behavior." Slughorn spoke before turning to Avery, Rosier, and Wilkes. "As for you three, you'll be scrubbing cauldrons for a week."

IIII:::IIIII


	3. Injustice

Note: I don't own anything.

Just a reminder that even though I'm using elements from the Toaru Majutsu no Index universe, that doesn't mean that I'll be sticking too closely to canon with it as I intend to be flexible with the characters and elements. So expect some OOC. Now I know Archbishop Laura Stuart is a bitch in canon but I'm making her nice and pleasant for this story.

IIIII::::IIIII

Severus remained silent as he listened to his Head of House talk about his actions in the Great Hall before informing him that the detention was in the Forbidden Forest and that he would be doing it next weekend in the evening.

"So you're telling me that I am to be walking into the Forbidden Forest all by myself just to harvest some Fluxweed on a full moon?" Severus asked.

"Hagrid will be giving you company." Slughorn answered. "It's your first day back and you've already landed yourself in detention. I tried but Dumbledore overrode me in selecting the punishment."

"My actions were regrettable but it's very difficult to resist the temptation in physically humbling the naïve followers of that blood-drinker they call a Dark Lord." Severus remarked, causing Slughorn to smile.

"You've changed a lot, Mr. Snape. I don't know what had happened that gave you such a confidence boost but I certainly can see it." Slughorn commented before continuing. "Things had been restless when you were gone. As you know by now, many students within Slytherin have considered joining his cause due to the actions of the three that you have earlier subdued physically. By now, word has already spread through the house and they'll be antagonizing you the moment you return."

Severus merely raised an eyebrow, realizing that his Head of House did bring up a good point. Still, the threat wouldn't deter him and he would just have to bring about the appropriate response should his fellow housemates threaten him.

"I think facing adversity is a challenge in life that cannot be avoided." Severus replied before asking. "Is there anything I need to know, sir?"

"There's nothing else, Mr. Snape. Let me handle your return with Dumbledore in the meantime. You may go." Slughorn answered before adding. "And fifty points to Slytherin for that wonderful takedown in the Great Hall! Oh, you make me feel so envious with your athleticism!"

Severus smiled a bit. It was a bit of a downer that he still had to serve detention by the Headmaster's order but regaining the points lost along with hearing his Head of House's remark at least gave him a slight boost in personal morale.

Heading to the dungeons, Severus could feel the nostalgia of his earlier years as he reached the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room. Clutching the Anglican Cross around his neck, he activated the Walking Church while whispering a silent prayer in Latin. Once he entered, Severus mentally sighed as he found himself confronted by Avery and Wilkes along with Mulciber.

"Think you're so tough after embarrassing us like that?!" Avery snapped.

"Not really but then again, I don't need to because I just proved it." Severus sneered. "I have to admit that I had been blind during third year to even think in the ideals of your so-called Dark Lord had any merit."

"The Dark Lord is the key to our world!" Mulciber spat. "Every blood traitor, half-blood, Muggle-born, and Muggle will get what's coming to them! The same fate awaits anyone that opposes his will!"

"You've made a big mistake, Snape." Wilkes added. "Unless you want to die, you better make the correct choice." 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, everyone knows what he's trying to do." Severus replied. "But just because he's on a roll right now doesn't mean it's going to last long. Oh, and I already made my own choice right there in the Great Hall."

As tempting as it was, Severus remembered real well in keeping some secrets under wraps. It was then that the door burst open and Rosier entered with the Evening Prophet.

"Oh, it's you." Rosier sneered the moment he saw Severus, who merely went to the dormitory.

"Where do you think you're going?!" Avery snarled.

"Bed." Severus answered casually.

"Forget Snape." Rosier spoke before holding the newspaper. "Look at this!"

On the front page was the title: UNKNOWN ASSAILANT SLAUGHTERS FENRIR GREYBACK!

_The slaughter in Diagon Alley has claimed numerous lives while leaving damaged shops behind. Witnesses have claimed to see the notorious Fenrir Greyback leading a number of werewolves and there was confirmation that the dreaded Bellatrix Lestrange was sighted with a number of followers from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Though their presences have left another mark of destruction within our community, it appears that they are not the only ones to do so._

_When Aurors arrived on the scene, they discovered the remains of Fenrir Greyback along with his associates. Though there have been no claims made by those responsible, a shopkeeper that declined to be identified told Aurors about a strange young woman with multiple piercings on her face battling Fenrir and his allies on her own._

"_She was completely ferocious, using some sort of large hammer and magic I've not seen before to destroy them." The shopkeeper said. "She then left afterwards to who knows where."_

_Is this young woman a heroine or perhaps a Dark Lady seeking to get rid of competition that HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED?_

"A young woman with piercings on her face?" Avery asked quizzically.

"I don't know who she is but the Dark Lord is calling a meeting tomorrow night to discuss this." Rosier replied before he, Avery, Mulciber, and Wilkes began talking about their plans.

Behind the wall, Severus heard everything before subtly waiting for them to finish their talk and went to the dorm room that was designed for students seeking solitary confinement. From the description, it seemed that God's Right Seat is in the country although it wasn't unusual for Vento of the Front to be conducting business on her own.

IIII::::IIII

Archbishop Laura Stuart was sipping tea calmly before eventually setting her cup down. The supreme leader of the Necessarius was no stranger to the events of magical Britain.

"So the Roman Catholic Church sent one of its agents here?" Laura asked, mostly to herself. "Surely it has to be more reason behind the decision from God's Right Seat than just putting down a few dogs like Fenrir."

Behind her, Stiyl Magnus spoke. "You know as well as I do, that the killing of any person upon the grounds of the Roman Catholic Church will bring forth a swift response. Fenrir Greyback made that mistake when he raped and killed the three Bernadette nuns in Rome. It was only a matter of time that justice was rendered."

"And God's Right Seat sent Vento of the Front to be their instrument." Laura remarked before sighing. "Is she still here?"

"No, our agents have confirmed that Vento has left the country, likely heading back to Rome." Stiyl answered. "It looked like God's Right Seat ordered a simple assassination and nothing else for the time being. They know that further movement will be seen as trespassing by the Church of England."

"If that's the case, we'll turn a blind eye to the Roman Catholic Church's intrusion since it only took place in an area under the Ministry's jurisdiction. But just in case, I'm having our agents keep an eye out just in case further intrusions occur in the future." Laura answered before taking another sip of tea. "I want you to meet up with that young man Severus Snape and give him this assignment. He is to gather intelligence on any children with suspected Death Eater ties and the report is due by Christmas Eve. Also, I've had some of my agents perform some background research on that self-styled Dark Lord and if their reports are true, then we will need to make a trip to Jerusalem."

Laura then produced a small scroll before handing to Stiyl, who took it.

"Why Jerusalem and what did those reports say?" Stiyl asked.

Taking a small notepad, Laura wrote down some symbols before tear off the slip of parchment and handed to Stiyl.

"This conversation is for your ears only." Laura spoke telepathically. "We lost three battle nuns but before one of them died of her wounds, she gave a description of Voldemort to her team along with a memory of the man in action. Did you remember what he looked like?"

"Voldemort looked more like a snake and less than human." Stiyl replied telepathically.

"That's correct." Laura spoke before continuing. "One of the nuns mentioned that she detected something strange about his being as though it was incomplete. I too agreed that the Dark Lord had carried out dark rituals but even those cannot have brought about side-effects that could severely disfigure his appearance on that degree. But it was during my recent stay in Egypt to strengthen relationships with the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt that I believe I might have found the reason regarding Voldemort's appearance. He split his soul using the Horcrux Ritual that Herpo the Foul, the wizard who hatched the first Basilisk, created almost three thousand years ago."

"What? He split his soul?!" Stiyl asked in shock. "That's a complete violation to the laws of nature!"

"He did and stored them in containers although no one knows what they are." Lauara replied before continuing. "The Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt had been built on the ruins of an old library. Though access is open, Muggles cannot even see it. The Holy See of Alexandria had brought me along for my knowledge in archaic runic text and it was there that we came across records pertaining to a number of eyewitness accounts regarding Herpo the Foul. Though the process of the Horcrux Ritual wasn't there and the data was likely with the Eastern Orthodox Church, there was enough information on the side-effects to indicate that the Dark Lord did use the Horcrux ritual."

"If that is true, then what would be the course of action to take?" Stiyl asked. "I don't fancy having to do excessive searching for items that might be his Horcruxes."

"No one will be looking for them but that doesn't mean we won't be on a search assignment." Laura answered. "This brings up a trip to Jerusalem. When the Horcrux Ritual was first designed, Herpo the Foul knew full well that he was snubbing his nose at nature since the soul is never meant to be split by unnatural means. The only way to kill a wizard that had used the Horcrux ritual was to first eradicate whatever containers that he stored soul fragments in before killing the man."

"Is this trip to Jerusalem a means to another method?" Stiyl asked while registering Laura's words.

"It is." Laura replied. "Astrologers mentioned that the Pisces Constellation will become more visible than ever next year on November 2nd. That is the day in which Voldemort must be killed at night with a holy weapon and that will even destroy the Horcruxes that he made, no matter their locations. That is why we are going to Jerusalem."

"All Souls Day." Stiyl spoke, comprehending the overall picture that Laura was presenting.

"Indeed." Laura answered. "All Souls Day has been the one day for the reconciliation of souls that have not been able to pass onwards. While the faithful pray and offer sacrifice for those souls to be cleansed of their sins in order to achieve sanctification to enter the realm of our Holy Lord, it is also a day that witches and wizards shouldn't make Horcruxes. Also, those that made Horcruxes shouldn't be killed on All Souls Day either."

"I see." Stiyl answered. "But what are we to look for in Jerusalem?"

"When Christ was crucified, He was impaled onto the cross with three large nails. The Three Nails of Christ were hidden somewhere in Calvary. The Holy Longinus that stabbed His side is also another but that weapon will be the most difficult to locate." Laura replied. "But if we find even one of them, it'll be enough to kill Voldemort and his Horcruxes in one fell swoop. Otherwise, we would have no choice but to either wait for the next ten years to try again or find and destroy his soul containers, which is even more difficult than finding a needle in a haystack."

The blonde then added. "We'll speak of this on another time, Stiyl. You may go now."

Stiyl nodded before leaving Laura's presence.

IIII::::IIII

The weeks that followed since his return were pleasant enough for Severus, who found himself back in the routine that he was familiar with at Hogwarts: attend classes, study for tests, and do homework. The detention had gone smoothly without any trouble although Severus was annoyed by Hagrid's prejudice against Slytherin House. While James Potter and his gang were still antagonistic towards him, Severus wasn't too bothered by it although it would be nice to see them within the effects of the Sheol's Fear. Most of his professors were impressed by his academic work in and out of class. The only ones that snubbed his efforts were McGonagall and Dumbledore. But Severus wasn't bothered, knowing that both of them would cling to their biased viewpoints regarding Slytherin House.

As Saturday rolled in, Severus was looking forward to spending the Hogsmeade weekend with Lily, who was just as eager to reconnect with her old friend with the larger amount of time given. Even though they had the same classes together, the Slytherin and Gryffindor rivalry was at its worst, preventing the pair from spending time together. Nonetheless, Severus and Lily weren't going to let that get in the way.

Waiting just outside the Great Hall while dressed in a simple black dress shirt and khaki trousers, Severus waited before seeing Lily emerge from the stairs and couldn't believe on how beautifully mesmerizing she looked in a sleeveless blouse that exposed most of her neckline, a bolero draping her shoulders, and tight blue jeans.

"Ready to go?" Severus asked.

"Oh you know I was born ready." Lily answered with a smile, mentally awestruck on how handsome Severus looked today. Though she had gotten used to it, the redhead certainly wanted to meet the individuals that were responsible for this change on her childhood friend.

Leaving the castle, both of them set out to Hogsmeade, talking about a few things that were going on. By the time they reached the village, Lily and Severus were treated to crowded streets and cold weather yet weren't bothered by the immediate conditions around them.

"So where to?" Severus asked.

"I don't know. How about you lead and I'll follow?" Lily suggested. During her third, fourth, and fifth years, she had never had the chance to go with Severus to Hogsmeade until today.

Severus grinned. "Alright, then."

Overall, the pair had gone to Honeydukes and Dominic Maestro's Music Shop before ending their trip at the Three Broomsticks. Setting their purchases down at a corner table, Lily and Severus ordered and paid for Butterbeers before the waiter went off and later came back with two large mugs.

"Were you serious about taking some of the N.E.W.T. tests that early?" Lily asked.

"Professor Slughorn suggested that I consider it for the subjects that I'm ahead on and real good at." Severus replied. "Potions, Herbology, Charms, and Transfiguration shouldn't be too hard. Same for Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. It'll lighten the load for next year. Maybe you should give it a try since you're breaking records that would put Rowena Ravenclaw to shame."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Sev." Lily replied with a smile before subtly removing her right shoe to touch Severus's leg with her foot. "But that is a good idea. I don't think taking nine or ten tests within two weeks is healthy."

"Didn't I tell you to stay away from my girl, Snivellus?" a voice snarled, causing Severus and Lily to turn where they saw James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter approach their table.

"Potter! I am going to say this only once! I AM NOT YOUR GIRL!" Lily shouted, standing up abruptly with her wand drawn out.

"He's a snake and a Death Eater-in-training!" Sirius replied. "You know better than to consort with his kind."

"He's probably an inner circle member after that three-year absence of his." Remus added.

"Sev isn't a Death Eater and I doubt you have any proof!" Lily countered.

"You heard the lady. She isn't your girl." Severus replied coolly before rolling up both of his sleeves, showing that his arms were bare. "I know that Voldemort marks his followers on their arms."

"That doesn't mean anything, Snivellus. You're just an unmarked one that hasn't earned his scales yet." James snapped.

Severus merely rolled his eyes. "Believe what you want because you're too blinded to see beyond stereotypes, you uncivilized jackal. With that kind of mindset, you're unworthy of being a true lion of Gryffindor House and Godric is probably turning in his grave right now."

It was at that moment that James saw red before drawing his wand. But it seemed unnecessary as Peter, having moved unnoticed behind Severus, cast the Total Body-Binding Curse, which struck Severus from behind, causing him to fall rigid to the floor. It was a split second later that Peter was punching and kicking at Severus before James and Sirius joined in. Lily was about to hex the three but Remus quickly snatched her wand before restraining her.

"Let me go! Why are you doing this to him?!" Lily shrieked, trying to break away without success.

"He should learn his place!" Remus answered, keeping a strong hold on her while James, Sirius, and Peter took turns in beating Severus, who couldn't move whatsoever. Both Peter and Sirius then took hold of Severus, keeping him in place before James delivered punch after punch to his face, snickering as he took delight in smashing his nose, eyes, and mouth.

"Somebody stop them!" Lily screamed before Remus non-verbally placed a Silencing Charm on her. Yet, it seemed that no one was bothering to interfere and a few minutes passed before James and the others ceased beating Severus up.

"Come on, let's go." James ordered before Sirius and Peter followed. Remus let go of Lily before following after the Marauders.

Lily quickly got to Severus's side, tears in her eyes in seeing his handsome face reduced into a bloody mass. His eyes were swollen shut, his nose was broken, and his lips were ruptured badly.

"Why?! Why didn't any of you stop this?!" The redhead yelled, glaring hatefully at the patrons within the tavern. But no one answered and merely pretended that nothing had happened.

"Lily…" Severus groaned.

"Sev… don't speak. You're hurt." Lily whispered as she helped him up before grabbing their purchases. "Let's go to Madam Pomfrey."

Leaving the Three Broomsticks with hoods over their heads, the pair managed to make their way back to the castle. But as Severus and Lily reached the hospital wing, they noted that the hallway was suspiciously empty and it was a minute later that Dumbledore emerged from the doorway.

"I'm afraid Madam Pomfrey isn't available and thus, you will not be receiving any treatment for your injuries." The Headmaster spoke upon seeing the pair.

"What?" Severus asked in disbelief.

"Did you think attacking them would make you the better man, Mr. Snape?" Dumbledore spoke sternly. "You'll be serving detention tomorrow night and fifty points will be taken from Slytherin."

"Sev didn't attack them or pull his wand!" Lily protested. "Potter and his gang started it!"

"My dear, he may not have physically attacked them or hexed them but words are powerful enough to warrant others to take action." The Headmaster replied. "Mr. Snape should know better than to speak ill of others. Good day to you, Ms. Evans."

With that, Dumbledore left. Lily could not believe on what the Headmaster had just said and done. She had once revered the old man due to his accomplishments long ago but recently, Lily was beginning to see the Headmaster in a different view. Severus was feeling very sick in the stomach on the injustice that was handed down to him. Getting beaten up was bad enough but not only was he being denied treatment for his injuries, he was given a detention and lost points for a verbal attack, which didn't warrant such punishment.

"It's alright. I'll just head back to the common room." Severus spoke weakly.

"No, Sev. I know a place where we can spend time together." Lily replied before helping him along as she began leading the way. It wasn't long before they were on the seventh floor and Lily stopped near a wall where a door suddenly appeared.

"It's called the Room of Requirement." Lily explained. "Alice and Frank told me about it last year and I used it to study for my O.W.L. tests. It'll supply whatever the person asks for and even change to accommodate the desired environment."

Severus nodded and after being led in, noticed that there was a bed near a table. On the walls were cupboards containing medical supplies. After Lily led him to the bed, she had him lay down before moving to the cupboards to take a few items. Once she returned, the redhead placed ice packs over her friend's eyes.

"Mom taught me some first aid." Lily spoke. "I'm still learning but I'll do my best."

"Don't push yourself too hard." Severus answered. "Thank you, Lily. I'm sorry if I'm burdening you."

"Just rest now, Sev. You're more than my best friend and I'll take care of you." Lily whispered in a soothing voice before she went to work on healing Severus's facial injuries.

Despite the misfortunes in the day, Severus seemed to think that the day wasn't too bad as long as he could spend time alone with Lily, who also had similar thoughts in her mind.

IIIII::::IIIII


	4. Just Some Payback

Note: I don't own anything.

IIIII::::IIIII

Days passed since the incident in Hogsmeade and Severus could still feel the psychological remnants of his injuries despite superficially recovering from them. Lily's handiwork may not be perfect but he didn't care and most of them had already faded. Rather, Severus saw the injuries as a reminder of the ridicule that he would bear in life and came to accept that burden. Still, he knew that he wasn't a saint and that there was still the inner desire to make James Potter and his gang pay for their sins. But Severus wasn't going to be the instrument of it. No, he knew that a reckoning of some sort would come down the road and all he would have to do was sit back and watch. The detention that Dumbledore had assigned to him was menial labor with Filch overseeing it and Snape couldn't believe the apparent bigotry that he had experienced from the Headmaster. Very little has changed at Hogwarts and the apparent anti-Slytherin attitudes continue.

"Mr. Snape, why haven't you finished the assignment?" a sharp voice cut through his thoughts and Severus looked up to see Professor McGonagall looking at him sternly before remembering that he had to transfigure the small snuffbox into a raccoon.

Taking his wand, Severus cast the spell before watching the snuffbox transformed into a raccoon, which had no trace of any flaw. After seeing the transfigured raccoon behave just like an authentic one, the Transfiguration professor didn't show any expression but Severus didn't need any clue to know that she was being shown up.

"Turn it into a snake." McGonagall ordered.

Severus then performed the spell once more and the transfigured raccoon became a snake. He was unaware of what was to follow as James Potter subtly took his wand out.

"Now turn it into a cat." McGonagall spoke.

Once more, Severus turned the snake into a cat and it was then that James made his move, non-verbally sending a Stinging Hex at the feline's tail. The cat screeched before leaping to claw at Severus, who brought his arms up to shield himself from the enraged animal while hearing raucous laughter from several of the Gryffindors. The moment it sank its teeth into his left arm, he grabbed the cat and yanked it off before throwing the animal against the wall.

"Mr. Snape! Fifty points from Slytherin for animal endangerment!" McGonagall snapped.

"It was a transfigured cat attacking me!" Severus protested. "I had no immediate choice in the matter!"

"You had a wand in your hand." McGonagall replied sternly. "Barbarism isn't tolerated. That will be ten more points you've lost for talking back improperly and a detention."

Severus shook his head but didn't say anything else as he sat down, hearing more laughter from many of the Gryffindors. He noticed Lily, who was looking at him, was about to rise from her seat but Severus quickly shook his head as if telling her to not do anything. The redhead was confused but gave him a sympathetic look before sitting back down.

Luckily, the clock hit the appointed time of dismissal and Transfiguration ended. Severus calmly waited for most of the class to leave before packing up and entering the hallway where Lily was waiting.

"Don't bother telling McGonagall. She's always favoring the Marauders." Severus whispered.

"But you know that Potter was at fault. I saw him cast the Stinging Hex." Lily countered.

"If he and his gang of jackals can get away with beating me up like that in the Three Broomsticks, then it's no surprise on what else that he has carte blanche to do." Severus replied. "He's baiting me to something to him and then I'll end being on the wrong end of things. Don't worry, the time will come when he'll answer for his transgressions."

Lily looked at Severus with an amused expression. "You know, you sound like a zealous priest just now."

Severus smiled before asking. "Anyways, are you planning anything this Christmas?"

"Nothing really except Petunia will be very unbearable." Lily replied. "Ever since Mom and Dad passed away, it's been hell."

"I see." Severus replied. It wasn't news to him that Lily's parents had passed away in a car accident but he decided not to venture into that topic at this time.

"What about you, Sev?" Lily asked.

"I have nothing planned but if you don't want to stay with Petunia, then you're welcome to spend Christmas at my home." Severus offered.

"You really mean it?" Lily's eyes asked with brightness.

Severus nodded with a smile. "Of course. But we better get to Charms class before Professor Flitwick counts us tardy. We can talk later."

IIII::::IIII

Voldemort was not happy but neither was he angry at the current news within the past few weeks. This Vento of the Front that had killed Fenrir some time ago seemed like a vicious opponent. Even his best lieutenant Bellatrix was eager for a chance to fight her and had been very regretful in passing up the opportunity during the raid in Diagon Alley. The only questions were in regards to who Vento was and what her goals were. Was there some way to draw her out into the open?

"Bellatrix, since you seem so eager to go after this Vento of the Front, this will be something that you and I will take care of together should we encounter her again." Voldemort spoke. "Unlike that old coot and his precious order, she is a very formidable adversary and could very much be a worthy challenge for us to decimate."

"Milord." Bellatrix spoke, acknowledging his words.

"I also think that she isn't the only one. Some blood traitors must have had some part in training her to be that powerful." Voldemort continued. "Hmm… if that is the case, then we should take some consideration and move our plans ahead of schedule."

"What is your command, milord?" Bellatrix asked.

"I don't have any specific plan yet but I think it is time that some wonderful recreation and the initiation of our new recruits are in order." Voldemort replied. "Pick a Muggle area of your own choosing and you can take whomever you wish with you. Once done, bring the new recruits back and I shall attend to them."

"Yes milord." Bellatrix replied before departing.

Once left alone, the Dark Lord thought back about the attacks that he and his followers have conducted, hoping to see on what had caused his new opponent to suddenly appear and take action. Apparently, Vento had targeted Fenrir and his group, causing him to ponder on what attacks that he had ordered the werewolf maniac to partake in. So far, most of them had been in England although the Dark Lord did take some occasions to strike in France and as far as Rome. The last thought caused something in his mind to stir. Bellatrix's description of Vento's attire and cross-earrings made him wonder if Fenrir's attack on the Roman Catholic Church that led to the death of those nuns was the cause. But it was only a minute later that Voldemort dismissed it. He remember seeing some witches dressed as nuns before killing them as they tried to hold his followers off but this made him ponder the cause and reaction scenario. The only thing he knew was that Christianity was the cause to the persecution of the magical world in Europe along with all things that they considered to be heresy and blasphemy. But they weren't magical since their religion prohibited the practice of such arts according to what he personally knew.

"Nothing more than religious nutcases." Voldemort muttered to himself, thinking that he had nothing to fear if he or some of his associates were to strike at Rome again. What could the religious clergy do against him? It was then that he remembered a special event that would take place in Lourdes, France where Pope Paul VI was scheduled to visit the town where the Lady of Lourdes was said to have appeared. With such a potentially high-profile target making an appearance, this would provide a perfect opportunity to show those outside of England that he was a force to be reckoned with and personally, it would also be retribution for the Inquisitions of the past against the magical world.

Turning to one of the two acolytes near the door, he ordered. "Order Lucius Malfoy to come here. I have something that I wish to discuss with him."

IIII::::IIII

Charms class went smoothly for Lily and Severus, both of them receiving points for their respective Houses after performing well in casting the spells listed on the practical review. Once the evening rolled in, Severus received a notice from McGonagall that he would be assisting Hagrid on weeding the pumpkin patch. He sighed at the thought of another outdoor venture and the moment he stepped outside, the sky was glowing from the light of the full moon. The groundskeeper wasn't exactly pleasant although he didn't say anything beyond simple orders. Once the detention ended, Severus was free to go. But instead of heading back to the castle, Severus decided to see if there was any Fluxweed that he could harvest. Since it was a full moon night, there were other plants that yielded good ingredients when harvested under these conditions.

"What are you doing here, Snivellus?" a sneering voice spoke.

Severus looked up to see Sirius.

"Potions ingredients," he answered curtly.

Black grinned. "Really? Want to see something?" he whispered.

"I'm not really interested, Black." Severus replied.

"Oh, but don't you want to know where Remus is?" Sirius taunted.

"Don't be stupid. I'm not an idiot, Black. I know what he is." Severus countered, the temptation to hex the upstart starting to boil.

"But do you know where they keep him? Or what they did to him?" Sirius spoke in a taunting tone.

"No, and I don't particularly care. If you would just leave me be…" Severus began.

"No? Doesn't it concern you that Lily found out? That she's on her way to the Whomping Willow?" Sirius spoke, cutting him off.

"L-Lily?" Severus couldn't believe it. What would she be doing out here?

"Underneath the Willow is a tunnel that leads to Remus's monthly hide-out. You freeze the tree by pressing the knot at the base. Lily knows that much, but not what she'll find there. I'm not going in there, with a full fledged werewolf on the loose." Sirius replied.

Severus cursed. "You had better not be lying, Black!" he spat as he sprinted towards the Willow.

Years of ducking for cover and combat training had made him agile. He dodged the branches and pressed the knot. Panting, he lowered himself into the tunnel.

"Lily?! Lily, where are you?!"

He saw nothing.

"L-Lumos!" the small beam of light reflected on the dirty floor, the dark, mouldy walls, but did not find Lily Evans. Instead, he noticed a young girl about twelve with blond hair and dark gold eyes. She was wearing the attire of an Anglican nun.

"Sister Angelene?!" Severus quipped in surprise before seeing that she couldn't move at all with the exception of her eyes. There was no doubt that she was under the effects of the Full Body-Binding Curse. Severus quickly negated the curse.

"How did you get here?" Severus asked.

"Brother Severus! I was attacked in Hogsmeade by some boys when I asked if they happened to know you. There was something that I needed to give to you personally and in private." Angelene spoke frantically. "One of them cursed me and said that he had an idea on getting rid of someone named Snivellus. Whoever that person is."

Severus's eyes narrowed. How low can Potter, Black, Lupin, and Pettigrew sink to?!

"Angelene, we've got to go, this place is dangerous!" Severus spoke, his mind getting back on track to the current situation.

A low growl made both Severus and Angelene look up. At the end of the long corridor, a shadow lengthened. Step by step, second by agonizing second, first the head and then the chest of the werewolf emerged. Its eyes were a bloodshot red and there was a primordial rage in its posture.

Not letting the fear they were feeling get to them, Severus and Angelene quickly got to their feet.

"One of the Holy Twelve, Come Forth! Former Tax Collector And Now Servant of the Holy Lord! Smite the Evil!" Angelene chanted, tossing several small bags of gold coins into the air. They glowed in multiple colors, immediately sprouted wings before soaring at Remus and binding his limbs such that the werewolf's movements were weighed down heavily.

Bringing out several small crucifixes made of gold and with the intention of using a spell that he managed to learn from analysts that had examined the instruments and relics belonging to the imprisoned Biajio Busoni during a visit to the London Clock Tower, Severus mentally chanted. _'The Cross smites down the evil!'_

Immediately, the crucifixes soared at high velocities, slamming into Remus that he howled loudly in pain.

"Let's go before Lupin recovers." Severus spoke.

"That werewolf has a name?" Angelene asked.

"It's sixth year student named Remus Lupin." Severus explained. "He has lycanthropy."

"Oh." Angelene replied.

It wasn't long before they ended up in the Shrieking Shack, which was empty such that Severus and Angelene didn't encounter anyone.

"Angelene. You know about the attitudes that the Ministry of Magic has regarding werewolves, right?" Severus asked as he conjured a vial and pulled the memory that contained the time that Sirius accosted him to the encounter under the Whomping Willow.

Angelene nodded.

"Okay, I want you to take this to the Ministry and tell them that the Headmaster is harboring a werewolf student in the school." Severus replied. "Say that someone anonymously had sent you to deliver the memory and the instructions."

"Okay. Oh, I forgot this! Stiyl wanted me to give this to you." Angelene spoke, handing Severus a scroll with a seal before teleporting away in a burst of light.

Recognizing the seal as belonging to the Archbishop Laura Stuart before pocketing the scroll, Severus made his way back to the castle before seeing Professor McGonagall intercept him and knew that a visit to the Headmaster's office was coming.

IIII::::IIIIII

"Mr. Black, why would you endanger your friends like that?" Professor McGonagall spoke.

"Snivellus is not my friend," Black reacted predictably.

"Remus is," Professor Dumbledore pointed out, "What if he had hurt or killed either of them? He would have been executed."

Black paled a fraction.

"But…but Remus would never hurt James," he stammered.

"A werewolf does not recognize his friends, Mr. Black," Professor McGonagall said curtly.

"But…Remus does! He…he has to," Black finished lamely when he belatedly realized he was about to give away the Marauders' greatest secret.

"I think you made an error of judgment, Mr Black."

Severus leaned back, tired. The Marauders had gotten some sleep, but he had been up and about all night.

"So are you going to expel him?" he asked without much conviction.

"Surely you can see that I can not do that. Sirius was merely playing a joke. A thoughtless joke, but a joke nonetheless. 50 points and a week of detentions with Hagrid would suffice."

Severus stared at the old man in disbelief.

"And 50 points from Slytherin and a week of detention with Professor McGonagall for being out after curfew, Mr. Snape, and trying to set up a fellow student."

"S-set up?" Severus spluttered, "I didn't try to…"

"Perhaps you thought it would be fun to expose Mr. Lupin as a werewolf," the Headmaster interrupted him, "but his condition must remain a secret. Am I clear on that, Mr. Snape? I'm afraid that if this came out, then there wouldn't be any more place at this school for you than there would be for him."

Severus was mentally seething but more on the fact that their crimes against Sister Angelene were being swept under the rug. "You won't have to worry about me disclosing Lupin's secret but I'm willing to bet right now that some of the Ministry are on their way."

"What do you mean?!" Dumbledore snapped, his eyes blazing with fury. But Severus remained stoic.

"I wasn't the only one that was about to be attacked by a werewolf. Potter and his gang ambushed another person, leaving her in the corridor of the Whomping Willow."

Before Dumbledore could speak, the fireplace flared before several Aurors along with Minister of Magic, Delia Bagnold, appeared.

"I have a warrant here for the werewolf Remus Lupin." The Minister spoke. "Where is he?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Dumbledore spoke while glaring dangerously at Severus, who had a smug expression.

"I have an informant that tipped me off about you harboring a werewolf on the premises." Delia spoke before ordering some of her Aurors to search the school despite Dumbledore's protests.

"You son of a…!" Sirius snapped, springing at Severus before punching him in the face. One of the Aurors immediately fired a Hurling Hex, sending Sirius flying into a cabinet.

"Sorry but I hate it when someone that just survived a near-death ordeal gets inflicted with further injury." The Auror spoke before healing Severus's injuries while McGonagall tended to Sirius.

"I will not have you handle my students in that manner!" Dumbledore roared.

"Oh and you're saying that Severus isn't your student?" the Auror snapped. "Apparently, you've just proven inept in keeping them in line."

"Getting back to the point, the harboring of a werewolf on Hogwarts grounds is completely against the law." Delia spoke just as the fireplace erupted once more to bring in some of the Hogwarts Governors.

"Albus, is this true?!"

"What were you thinking?!"

Dumbledore was seething. "Where is your proof that there is a werewolf on the grounds?"

"We received a Pensieve memory that shows the events that took place earlier tonight. The memory was flawless and uniformly authentic." Delia spoke, smirking at Dumbledore's pale expression before turning to Severus. "I assume that you were the one that had that young girl give it to us, Mr. Snape."

"That's correct." Severus replied. "Although Headmaster was planning to expel me just for acting like a good citizen that the Ministry of Magic expects from its subjects. I felt it was appropriate to let someone of authority know about a Dark creature being near children."

"Remus is not a Dark creature!" Sirius snapped.

"Only a Black that comes from a family that practices the Dark Arts would defend Dark creatures." Severus answered nonchalantly.

Sirius was about to pull his wand but McGonagall kept him from doing so, knowing that hostile force in the presence of the Minister of Magic would make the situation worse.

The Hogwarts governors spoke to each other for a moment before one of them came forth.

"We are invoking Section 37 within the Hogwarts Charter. By our order, Severus Snape will not be expelled from Hogwarts for bringing this matter into the light. However, Sirius Black and Albus Dumbledore, you both will be held accountable for your actions in the harboring of a werewolf. Until the end of this academic year, Sirius is hereby expelled from Hogwarts. Headmaster Dumbledore, you are hereby suspended, pending a hearing to take place. All of the governors will be present and we shall notify you of the date."

If he didn't have need of his emotionless mask, Severus would've been laughing at the Headmaster. While fifty points was a bit of a loss, the fact that Sirius was expelled and Dumbledore being suspended made it worthwhile.

"May I be excused?" Severus asked.

"You may go, Mr. Snape. Thank you for bringing this matter to us." One of the governors spoke while casting a glare at Dumbledore to keep him silent. "Minister Bagnold, will it be feasible for you to have an official here to oversee the running of Hogwarts during the Headmaster's suspension?"

As Severus left the Headmaster's office, he managed to hear the Minister agree to the proposal before wondering on how much Hogwarts would change from this. For now, he planned to head back to the Slytherin dorm and see on what the Anglican Church was ordering him to do.

IIII::::IIIII


	5. Confrontations and Rituals

Note: I don't own anything.

IIIII::::IIIII

The days and weeks went by until the arrival of the winter with a variety of events taking place and Severus bore witness to a lot of them. Sirius's expulsion had been surprising but the revelation of Remus Lupin being a werewolf drew the ire of so many parents as he had expected. However, hearing a good number of the students mentioning about the need to execute him was a bit extreme. While he may have hated him, Severus didn't exactly want to see Remus dead. Even robbing him of his right to an education was overboard yet he wasn't fazed since Remus had been integral in helping Potter's gang torment him and this event had now reduced them in number. Two against one was more favorable and Severus longed to use the skills that he learned from the Necessarius on them. But that would come at another time. Still, James Potter along with Peter Pettigrew were completely furious and had doubled their harassment on him, not that Severus was concerned as the Walking Church served well in protecting him from ambushes while leaving the mistaken impression that he had enchanted Shield Charms into his clothing.

Dumbledore was marginalized, thanks to the Board of Governors. After a hearing with his position on the line, however, the Headmaster managed to retain his post but was placed on probation, according to the news in the grapevine. But while the elderly man was somewhat in check, that didn't mean his deputy was. McGonagall was relentless and horrid in Transfiguration and Severus found himself losing a lot of points for minute mistakes on his in-class work, much to the delight of the more raucous Gryffindors there. Only Lily and a few others like Alice kept silent, something that Severus was glad for. In the past few weeks, he was seeing that she was becoming very disillusioned by the direction that her fellow Gryffindors seemed to be taking. Maintaining a calm deposition, Severus endured through the horrible treatment with a steel resolve, thanking Orsola along with the others that he had met since that fateful rainy night for being the anchors in his life.

The scroll that he had gotten from Angelene was an assignment from the Archbishop and Severus knew full well on what Laura expected from him. Since he had to deal with the Death Eater crowd in Slytherin House, getting information along with extra details was very easy. Avery and group of thugs didn't believe in discretion as they lorded over Slytherin House, making them easy pickings for Severus to listen and compile his report. Many a time, they kept trying to recruit him due to his outstanding skills in potions but Severus would sneer and refuse point-blank, angering them. It wasn't uncommon for some occasions where wands were drawn and some spell fire was exchanged. But despite being outnumbered, Severus managed to come out on top due to his physical combat skills coupled to his spell work. It still was a letdown that he couldn't exactly match Oriana Thompson in physical combat due to her unique style involving the strike-grapple-counter approach but Severus did learn some valuable things from the busty blond-haired mercenary despite getting some beatings in the end of the training sessions. Too bad that he had to impart to her some of his creations such as the Sectumsempra Curse with its counter-curse but the sessions were worth the trade-off.

One night, as he lay in his bunk, Severus thought he heard footsteps near his bed before springing out with his wand pointed at none other than Regulus Black.

"What is it, Black? Speak quickly before your head files a divorce from your body." Severus warned.

"Listen, Snape. I'm not here to harm you or anything." Regulus whispered with his hands open. "I need to talk to you in private."

Though the dormitory that he was occupying was empty, Severus still cast a Silencing Ward to prevent eavesdropping.

"Alright, what is it?" Severus inquired.

"I overheard from my father that your grandparents are seeking to get custody of you." Regulus replied. "I don't know why but given that they disowned your mother, I assume that their intentions aren't exactly generous."

Severus raised his eyebrows. He had never made contact with his grandparents since his first year and even then, it wasn't exactly pleasant. Marcosius Prince and Margaret Prince nee Lestrange were just like the Malfoys and the Blacks, pureblood aristocratic nobles that held those of lesser blood with disdain. Hearing the news about them attempting to get custody of him was very suspicious.

"This is very suspicious but why are you telling this?" Severus asked.

"You may not have noticed but what you did in the Great Hall on the night you returned was just the start of a split in Slytherin House." Regulus replied. "There's also the fact that you constantly kicked the daylights out of Avery and his buddies every time they tried to recruit you, causing some to have some hope."

"Only because they start things when I refuse to join Voldemort and I have a habit of finishing them." Severus replied, causing Regulus to flinch at the name.

"Anyways, the thing is that a good number of the Slytherins don't want to join You-Know-Who but are forced to because of their parents or because of threats." Regulus explained. "Also, it doesn't help that Dumbledore and his allies are against them just because they're Slytherins and turn a blind eye to what Potter and his gang does to them. The Claws and Puffs aren't exactly helpful either. They have no one to turn to for help until this year when you came back. They think you represent a third side in this conflict."

"And what about you?" Severus asked.

"I may be for the Dark Arts but You-Know-Who is just a maniac. The meetings at Malfoy Manor opened my eyes to things and I just believe on how they don't care about life at all." Regulus replied, shuddering before continuing. "During a summer meeting, he brought a pregnant Muggle woman for his hardcore elite to use as target practice with the Cruciatus Curse. My relatives were there and they took part in it. They…they… were laughing at her screams and the curse somehow caused her to miscarry…. After that, Fenrir ripped her belly opened…and…and… just killed… the unborn child."

"Stop. Don't say anymore." Severus ordered before seeing Regulus breathe deeply in relief. It was taking Severus all his willpower to not visualize the gruesome details but he clutched the crucifix in his shirt and reminded himself to pray for the woman and her child. "Besides them, you want some way out?"

"That's right. The Dark Lord is bad enough but Dumbledore is just as bad with his attitude and I don't want the old coot to use me for his plans." Regulus replied.

Severus took a deep breath, contemplating on things. He knew that Regulus was honest and didn't even have to use Legilimency to confirm.

"You and the others are not going to like this regarding this third side that you all think I'm representing. It's true that there's a third party and that I'm a part of it." Severus replied. "But my superior is keeping things in secret until the time is right to be revealed and so I can't exactly explain things openly unless Unbreakable Oaths are made."

Regulus nodded before Severus continued. "Since tomorrow is a Saturday, why don't you gather those people and meet me in the Shrieking Shack around two o'clock? Lupin is no longer here and your older brother plus his stooges have no reason to visit that place again."

"Alright, I'll tell them. I had a feeling that you would come through." Regulus replied. "And thanks for putting them in their place. It's about time that some of Dumbledore's golden boys took a plunge for once. Pity that Potter isn't one of them."

"All in a night's work, I guess." Severus replied, watching Regulus leave before dispelling the ward and going back to sleep when a thought came to him. Since he offered Lily a place to stay during the holidays, she would eventually learn about the Necessarius. Severus had planned to explain things during the winter break but it looked like he would have to talk to her sooner than he hoped.

IIII::::IIIII

Morning came and the end of the autumn had arrived with a final visit to Hogsmeade being on schedule. Severus had sent a Patronus to Lily to meet him near the Shrieking Shack at eleven before setting out to his destination. Moving through the empty establishment and checking for people and spells, he was glad that no one was there and that there wasen't any active magic in the ruined house. Severus took his time to set the Opila Runes around the Shrieking Shack before activating them. He also added a special ward around the area such that memories of the events that took place inside would be removed from the minds of those that leave only on the whim of the caster. It wasn't long before Lily appeared and Severus welcomed her before both of them took seats in the living room.

"You said you had something important to talk about?" Lily asked.

"Yes, and it's complicated that I don't know where to start." Severus replied. "But it has to do with the people that I've staying with during the years that I was away from Hogwarts. It's likely that you'll be meeting them and… I want you to try to keep an open mind to understand on where some of them are coming from before you express your opinions."

Lily tensed a bit, hoping that Severus wasn't suggesting that she would be meeting some Death Eaters. Yet, it didn't stop from asking in a slightly tensed voice. "Are they Death Eaters, Sev?"

"No, they are not Death Eaters at all." Severus answered with full conviction. "I'd rather have my abusive father for company instead of them."

Lily relaxed, feeling that Severus was telling the truth. "Oh, okay. It's just that Potter and Pettigrew have been very irate about what happened to Black and Lupin and they blame you for it so they made up some rumors. Is it true that you set them up?"

"No it isn't." Severus replied. "When I discovered Lupin as a werewolf, I wasn't the only person there. She wasn't a student so it was easy for her to alert the Ministry. I just can't believe that Potter would have some young thirteen-year old bound and left there on the night of a full moon with Lupin as company after he transforms. She didn't even have a wand to defend herself."

"Those toerags!" Lily snarled. After calming herself down, she then nodded to Severus to continue. "Anyways, you were saying about these people not being Death Eaters but who are they actually?"

"People belonging to a group with a very interesting history, one that the Wizards' Council a few hundred years ago had kept a secret and something that the Ministry continues to hide to this very day." Severus replied. "I guess a history lesson is in order to better understand. But don't ever mention about this to anyone."

"Sure, Sev. I'll keep quiet. It can't be any worse than hearing Binns talk about goblin rebellions." Lily replied.

Clearing his throat, Severus began talking about the Necessarius Uprising by the Church of England that lasted for twenty years from 1590 to 1610, two years before the Goblin Rebellion of 1612 that followed. He continued on with the fact that remnants of the group had survived and regrouped to flourish in the shadows of time, staying silent and building up. Severus also mentioned about some of the anti-pureblood extremists that were in the Necessarius although they were a minority that couldn't disobey the archbishop whatsoever.

"I know you hate bigotry in all forms." Severus was saying. "I don't agree with those that hate the purebloods either. But they are always unsavory individuals in every group and community. I'll work alongside of them if necessary but other than that, I'd rather stay clear of them."

"I know you won't be drawn into such extremism." Lily replied in understanding. She was completely amazed about hidden history in the magical world and, after hearing about the Necessarius Uprising, the redhead wondered if there were other events that weren't disclosed. "Love Potions, Imperious Curse, and all sorts of magic used against them, I can't blame their ancestors for harboring such animosity against the magical world."

"I guess the hatred doesn't really die off if the generations continue to maintain it." Severus remarked.

"Sev, I cannot overlook the fact that there are some anti-pureblood individuals. I can somewhat understand on where they are coming from but it's unfair to label innocent purebloods with the same paintbrush." Lily replied.

"I know." Severus replied. "I'm not expecting you to join. I'm just telling on what to expect if you are to spend the holidays with me. The Necessarius has been kind to me and I grew up happy under their watch. The brothers and sisters that I've lived alongside with during those three years and all they have done makes me feel as though the suffering I endured in my childhood had been balanced out. I want you to understand that much."

"It's fine, Sev. Thank you for telling me and I still want to spend the holidays with you." Lily replied. "I guess perfection in pure light is too much to ask for. I remember that even angels such as Lucifer, who rebelled against God, or Samyezza, who brought forth the Nephilim, are proof that even the best have their flaws."

"Indeed." Severus remarked, having heard about the stories. "I'm surprised you read the Bible."

"I went to Sunday church school before coming to Hogwarts." Lily replied before asking. "Is it possible for me to meet the archbishop?"

"I don't see why not. Laura is a very kind young woman although she can be a taskmaster when it comes to leading the Necessarius." Severus replied before hearing a loud explosion outside that he quickly went to take a look through the window where he saw smoke rising from Hogsmeade. The distant screaming was all that he needed in figuring out a Death Eater attack was taking place.

Canceling his setup within the Shrieking Shack, Severus went back into the living room. "Lily, there are Death Eaters in Hogsmeade right now. We have to go."

Lily quickly sprang to her feet before both of them left the Shrieking Shack and joined up with some of the students and villagers. It was only a minute later that he noticed someone trying to drag a young woman, who was bound in rope and resembled Bellatrix. She looked like she was screaming yet no sound was coming from her mouth.

"Let her go! That's Andromeda!" Severus yelled, drawing his wand upon recognizing the woman.

"It don't matter!" the man spoke. "One less Black sister to worry about! Put that down now!"

Instead of complying, Severus immediately used the Total-Body Binding Curse on the man, who fell rigid on the floor. He quickly unbound Andromeda while lifting the Silencing Charm.

"My baby is still in the village!" Andromeda cried out.

"Sev, we should go together and you're not stopping me from helping!" Lily spoke in a determined tone.

"Alright then, let's go." Severus replied, wanting to help Andromeda find her child and knowing that once Lily made her mind up, nothing would stop her.

As the three entered the village, they could see several Death Eaters shooting spells and setting places on fire at a far distance.

"Severus!" a whispered voice spoke, catching their attention. Turning, Severus saw Stiyl hidden in what was left of the teashop before the three went inside.

"Stiyl, what are you doing here?" Severus asked.

"Just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Stiyl replied. "Who are your friends?"

"Lily Evans and this is Andromeda Black." Severus answered as Andromeda nodded to him. "This is Stiyl Magnus."

"Nice to meet you, Stiyl." Lily greeted, noting his facial appearance before her eyes trailed to his hair. While she may have been a redhead, Lily was more of the auburn red and had never seen anyone with crimson red hair until now. Not even the Weasleys and the Prewitts, with their red hair, could even come close to the crimson shade. Of course, the earrings and the barcode underneath his right eye were interesting accessories.

"Listen, Andromeda's daughter is somewhere in Hogsmeade and we're trying to find her." Severus explained.

"Some child Metamorphagus, whose hair keeps changing?" Stiyl asked.

"Yes, that's her. Where is Nymphadora?!" Andromeda demanded.

"One of my associates, Freeman Fenette, has her but they're barricaded in the Three Broomsticks. Floo connection is somehow blocked and the wards here are preventing Apparition and Portkeys from being used." Stiyl explained before activating a communication mirror and handing it to Andromeda. The mirror showed Nymphadora sitting near a Christmas with some ornaments and in the company of a tall young man with a dark brown mullet while wearing sunglasses that had a silver cross in the center of each lens along with a long shiny decorative coat and elaborate clothing that made him look like a rock star on stage.

"Freeman, this is Nymphadora's mother." Stiyl spoke.

"Thank you for looking after her." Andromeda spoke, feeling very relieved to see that her daughter is still alive and well.

"Not a problem. But we need to take those bastards out. There's a lot of wounded in the Three Broomsticks along with students tending to them and the barricades won't hold forever. We need someone that is an expert at runes to bypass this block on the Floo." Freeman replied.

"I'm an ace at Ancient Runes and know a lot more than any school can teach at the subject." Andromeda replied.

"Stiyl and I could draw their attention while Lily and Andromeda can help evacuate the wounded." Severus spoke. "While they're focusing on us, Andromeda can bypass the block and you all can escape."

"Sounds like a plan." Stiyl replied. "But we need to act now."

"Good luck to you all." Freeman spoke before the mirror went blank and Andromeda handed it back to Stiyl.

Severus took off the cross containing the Walking Church before handing it to Lily. "Wear it and keep it on you. There's more to it than meets the eye."

"What about you, Sev?" Lily asked in confusion but took the cross and wore it anyways.

"I'll be fine." Severus replied. "Everyone ready?"

"Let's go." Stiyl replied.

Emerging from the teashop, the four moved swiftly through the village before parting with Lily and Andromeda going one way while Stiyl and Severus went another. The latter pair saw the majority of the Death Eaters gather near the Dervish and Banges Shop before Severus let loose a chain of spells at them. Some of the Death Eaters weren't nimble enough to evade or react fast enough, getting hit. The others cast Shield Charms to deflect some of the spells before returning curses of their own. But Severus conjured stonewalls to block the lethal spells before returning fire.

Extending his right hand out and conjuring fire, Stiyl chanted. "Annihilation is its name and its role is the sword. Come forth and become power! Innocentius!"

Several runic cards shot out from the pockets of his robes before landing on the ground in front of him prior to unleash a swirling inferno. The blazing fire at the palm of his hand expanded before joining the inferno, which then took the shape of a large fiery demon. It was solid and stood at ten feet in height.

Severus smirked, knowing that Stiyl wasn't going to hold anything back while seeing the incoming spell fire from the Death Eaters stop as the blazing King of the Magi-Hunters caught their attention. The entity was far more solid than the Patronus despite being made entirely of fire.

"Fortis931. Here I shall prove that my name depicts the strongest!" Stiyl proclaimed, invoking his sorcery name and unlocking his full magical potential. Innocentius roared amid being energized by the boost in power.

"Incinerate the Death Eaters, Innocentius!" Stiyl ordered before the large blazing entity complied.

Several of the Death Eaters snapped out of their reverie before casting the Killing Curse at Innocentius but all that did was just halt the entity for a few seconds. Some resorted to using Fiendfyre, which engulfed Innocentius. But the Blazing King of the Magi-Hunters countered by absorbing the cursed fire and then lashing out at the Death Eaters by extending the length of its arms to burn some of them that couldn't evade it. Severus continued to send curses and hexes non-verbally at the Death Eaters, seeing on how they were too occupied in fighting Innocentius to notice him until it was too late.

While Innocentius dealt with a share of the enemies, Severus was completely taking time on incapacitating one Death Eater after another, sometimes with ease and other times with various levels of difficulty. New recruits with poor combat ability coupled with some experienced duelists, yet it looked like an initiation of sorts or perhaps just the Dark Lord's reminder of his growing power. Yet, despite his skill, Severus felt himself becoming tired. Having used a large number of hexes and spells without much of a break had made him susceptible to magical exhaustion.

'_Damn it!'_ Severus thought as he took cover behind a water barrel to recuperate before moving to avoid being a stationary target. Emerging from cover the moment he had recovered just enough, Severus resorted to using Stunning Spells until a Disarming Spell deprived him of his wand, which flew into the snow-covered ruins behind him.

"Give it up, Snape!" the Death Eater ordered as he and another compatriot sent hexes at Severus, who was sent flying into a wall. Before they could send more spells, a blazing river of fire cut their path off as Stiyl moved in on them with a flaming sword. Both Death Eaters sent curses at the man but Stiyl either evaded or deflected the spells with his elemental weapon before chanting in Notarikon and sent a blazing cross of fire that incinerated one of his adversaries. The other Death Eater, unable to stomach the viciousness of his foe, panicked before firing the Killing Curse at Stiyl, who merely tilted his head to the side while feeling the green beam of light sail cleanly past him.

'_Sectumsempra!'_ Severus thought as he non-verbally sent one of his trademark spells at the Death Eater, who reeled in having both of his legs amputated. Stiyl kicked the man's wand before knocking him out cold with a punch to his face, reminiscent to how a certain young man with Imagine Breaker knocked out his opponents.

Meanwhile, Andromeda and Lily managed to move unopposed towards the Three Broomsticks where Rosmerta reluctantly allowed them in before putting the barricade back on. While Andromeda went to check on Nymphadora and then examine the block in the Floo, Lily noticed several students from the school tending to the wounded.

"Lily, what are you doing here and how did you get through?" a voice called out before the redhead turned to see that it was Alice Carpenter, a Gryffindor in her year.

"Diversion." Lily replied. "Severus and his friend are fighting the Death Eaters, drawing as many as they can to an empty area in the village."

"What the hell?!" Alice couldn't believe it. Despite being a Gryffindor, she didn't harbor any ill will towards Severus. "And you just let him?!"

"It was hard but he made the plan and seemed confident about it somehow." Lily replied.

"He and Stiyl can handle themselves well." A voice spoke before both girls looked to see Freeman approach them. "I've seen what Severus can do by himself. He's got a lot of combat potential and the motivation to better himself so you'd be surprised on his ability."

"I have to admit it was hilarious in seeing him take down Avery and his goons during the Welcoming Feast." Alice remarked. "Frank and I talked about taking some Muggle martial arts classes this summer after seeing Severus in action."

Lily was about to reply when she heard Rosmerta remove the barricade before turning to see Stiyl and Severus enter just as the barmaid sealed the entrance.

"Sev!" Lily yelled before running over and tackling him in a hug.

"I'm alright, Lily." Severus replied, hugging her in return.

"Many of the Death Eaters are dead and the rest retreated." Stiyl spoke before taking a cigarette and went off to smoke.

"Stiyl did much of the cleanup and I helped out." Severus added before greeting Alice, who waved at him.

"I'm just glad you're alright, Sev." Lily replied, her tone filled with worry.

"Everyone! The Floo block is removed!" Andromeda called out. People began leaving through the chimney with the wounded going to St. Mungo's Hospital while others went straight home until only Rosmerta, Andromeda, Nymphadora, Freeman, Severus, Lily, Alice, Stiyl, and the other Hogwarts students were left.

"Thank you for looking after Nymphadora." Andromeda spoke to Freeman.

"Not a problem, you take care." Freeman replied before watching mother and daughter vanish through the Floo.

Just then, the barricade at the main entrance burst open to reveal several Aurors with wands drawn. Severus narrowed his eyes to see Albus Dumbledore accompanying them at the rear.

"Who was it that used Fiendfyre earlier?" one of the Aurors demanded.

"We were all barricaded inside here during the attack. What kind of question is that?" Severus asked.

"It's a valid one, Mr. Snape." Dumbledore spoke. "It's very suspicious that you are here when all students are supposed to be in the castle."

"Some of them were cut off from escape, leaving their only option of taking cover wherever they can hide." Severus replied. "If you hadn't been fiddling on the sidelines and actually do something, then everyone would've been able to escape before those Death Eaters could act."

"That will be enough, Mr. Snape!" Dumbledore spoke sharply. "Surrender your wand. Did you think that holding these students here hostage will make you feel superior over them while casting you in a better light for Voldemort?"

"Sev didn't do any such thing!" Lily protested vehemently while Alice and the other students also pitched in their support of the events that happened.

"You all have had a hard time today so I don't expect you to understand on what Mr. Snape has done to you all." Dumbledore spoke in his grandfatherly tone. "Miss Evans and Miss Carpenter, you should know long ago that the Slytherins cannot be trusted-"

"And who are you to give such judgment too hastily?" Severus interrupted as one of the Aurors seized his wand before casting Priori Incantatem.

"Looks like you've been busy with your spellwork, Mr. Snape." The Auror sneered. "That's too many hexes and minor curses to be a practice session."

"When fighting Death Eaters, I prefer to cripple them permanently. If I was an adult, I would've said that killing them is a better alternative." Severus replied. "All of those spells are legal and none of them are Dark."

"Killing them is a sign of going Dark, Mr. Snape." Dumbledore spoke authoritatively. "I'm afraid you're close to becoming just like them and I must nip this now before you end up as a new Dark Lord."

But as the Aurors attempted to seize Severus, Stiyl and Freeman intercepted them, as did Lily, Alice, and the other students.

"Unless you have actual cause, arresting a student is illegal under Paragraph 36 Section H of the Hogwarts Charter. Mere hearsay isn't enough to warrant anything close." Freeman declared.

"You do not know what Mr. Snape is capable of." Dumbledore spoke. "He is here at the scene of the attack and could have played some part in it."

"Can you even prove it?" Lily demanded. "So far, it seems that you have nothing better to do than ostracize Slytherin House. It's no wonder many of them are siding with Voldemort with the way you and Professor McGonagall treat them!"

"This has gone long enough." Stiyl spoke. "Everyone here is tired after having to hide from the Death Eaters and we don't need to listen to you badmouth someone, who is only protecting himself against threats on his life. If the curses and hexes aren't Dark, then there is no ground or probable cause for apprehension. The DMLE has stated that much in the seminars for defense."

"I won't forget this." Dumbledore replied before leaving. The Aurors backed down before leaving to continue investigating.

Once they were gone, Stiyl spoke. "Well, I have to go. You all take care. See you later, Severus."

"Take care, Stiyl." Severus replied before the crimson-haired man vanished into the Floo.

Even though Hogsmeade shops had reopened their doors some time later and with Aurors on patrol, not many students returned to the village to resume their shopping and social activities although the number was noticeable. Severus figured that Regulus would hold onto their arrangement before taking time to cast his original setup from earlier. Lily stayed with him and picked up the purpose of the Opila Runes that Severus utilized.

"The Anglican Church has their experts in Runes and Arithmancy. They even came up with their own Runic alphabet although I haven't exactly had the chance to check it out." Severus was saying after he finished.

"I bet Andromeda would be thrilled if she got the chance to take a look at them." Lily replied before changing gears. "So how would you know on who is trustworthy and who isn't?"

"I'll ask for magical contracts and I have the situation down perfectly to control the flow of information. The Memory Wards that are in place serve as safeguards. Once they enter, anything they experience will be monitored by magic and if they leave through the wards again, the knowledge will be removed. Anyone refusing will be asked to leave and they won't know about the setup that I have in place." Severus replied.

Time passed before Regulus arrived with a good number of the Slytherins from all the years. Some of them looked nervous and others looked hopeful as though waiting for some good news.

Many of them noticed Lily before asking about her presence.

"Even if she's a Gryffindor, Lily isn't a blind sheep that follows the Headmaster." Severus replied. "Just like on how we are Slytherins yet don't follow Voldemort. Now please take a seat. Conjure chairs if you need to."

Ignoring the reactions to the Dark Lord's name, Severus shook his head before turning to Regulus. "Is this everyone?"

"Yeah, that's everyone that wanted to meet you about this." Regulus replied.

Once everyone was seated and ready to listen, Severus got down to business. "Now before I begin, I will require magical contracts that none of you will discuss this matter and what is about to be disclosed with anyone outside this meeting that isn't here in any shape or form. In turn, I will also swear an oath on the same principle. If anyone here doesn't wish to take this step, you are free to leave. Do remember that there is a war going on and I do not tolerate treachery in any form."

Despite the hesitation of some, no one left and Severus figured that he could work in this situation before taking his wand out and making an oath. The archbishop had only allowed disclosure if the magical contracts and oaths were taken, especially if it involves refugees of the current war in magical Britain seeking protection. Everyone, including Lily followed suit, before continuing. "Alright, since you are all still here, I think I'll ask you all on why you have come here to talk to me before giving you all the chance to ask your questions."

IIII:::IIII

The papal visit to Lourdes was well received by the devout followers of the Catholic faith and it was on this day that Pope Paul VI would conclude his visit to the town. From afar, Lucius Malfoy stood next to Lord Voldemort while several of the Death Eater, a mix of his mid-card enforcers to novice recruits, waited behind them for their orders. Of the Dark Lord's valued inner circle, only Lucius and Bellatrix were present. The elder Malfoy had no reservations about a simple attack on foreign soil while the rather deranged Lestrange hoped to keep an eye out for any signs regarding Vento of the Front. The pope's visit to France made her ponder the chances of seeing her prey.

"Milord, do you intend a complete eradication of everyone present?" Lucius asked.

"That is the plan. There will be Muggles to slaughter along with a religious figurehead." Voldemort replied. "A simple ambush."

Amongst the Death Eaters, the idea of a bloodbath made them mentally riled and eager to take part and Voldemort could sense his followers wanting to attack. A glowing spider Patronus appeared before disclosing the location of the Pope's convoy and, with this information, the Dark Lord then nodded to his followers before speaking one word. "Kill!"

With that, Voldemort Apparated and his masked Death Eaters followed suit before arriving at their destination, intercepting the convoy that was carrying the Pope. Several armed guards drew their weapons but Voldemort and his Death Eaters quickly unleashed a barrage of spells, slaughtering the papal escorts with ruthless efficiency. Shouts and screams could be heard as the Muggle guardsmen opened fire with their guns to no avail. The Death Eaters were prudent enough to have Shield Charms ready in deflecting the projectiles while Voldemort watched until the car containing the pope was vulnerable. Two of the Death Eaters quickly opened the door before dragging the pope out, binding him in magical ropes.

"For centuries, the church has persecuted magical kind with the Inquisition." The Dark Lord spoke with venom in voice. "As it is, the Roman Catholic Church is stained with the blood of all those that they have slaughtered and now you shall pay the price. But first, Crucio!"

The pope thrashed about under the Cruciatus Curse and it wasn't long before the other Death Eaters joined in, casting the Unforgivable Curse as well. In the midst of torturing the screaming pope, one of the Death Eaters felt something hard slam against the side of his head and the last thing he felt before being decapitated was something cold slicing cleanly through his neck. Voldemort and his Death Eaters were quick to notice what had happened before hearing footsteps as they ceased torturing the pope.

Turning, the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters saw that it was a middle-aged man with brown hair and wearing blue clothing while carrying a very large sword.

"You and your foul ilk shouldn't be here." The newcomer spoke.

"You are courting death if you try to step in my way." The Dark Lord hissed

"So this is the so-called Dark Lord of Britain." The man remarked. "Stooping so low to torture helpless people just shows how weak you are."

"How dare you! Avada Kedevra!" Voldemort chanted, sending the Killing Curse at the man only to see the latter deflect it aside with his weapon much to everyone's shock.

"How pathetic. If this is the true power of the Dark Lord that is feared in magical Britain, then it behooves me as to how the British Ministry of Magic would allow you to run amok." The man remarked before watching the Death Eaters surround him. As threatening as it was, the man wasn't exactly afraid, more amused as his regal features displayed.

"Hmm… I can expect no less than at least this much." The man remarked. "As Acqua of the Back and part of God's Right Seat, judgment shall be rendered."

X-X-X

In his office, a certain Headmaster was in deep thought. The Aurors had been helpful in their investigation but it would've been even better if Severus had been arrested. The news about Marcosius and Margeret Prince wanting custody of their grandson would certainly sequester Severus and even if he reached the age of his majority, there was an archaic pureblood law that would allow them to retain him. Given Severus's half-blood status, there would be no way for any form of revocation unless the Prince family allowed it. He just needed to find some way to show that Severus had violent tendencies, which could easily be drawn out by James and Peter. Dumbledore knew that the Potter heir fancied Lily Evans, who seemed more interested in Severus. Perhaps with the right rituals, he might be able to forge a magical bond that would force Lily into accepting James as her husband and master.

A moment passed before Albus detected someone outside the entrance of his office and he had the gargoyle move aside to admit the person. It was James Potter.

"Hello James. I am glad to see you here." Dumbledore greeted. "Care for a lemon drop?"

"Thank you, Headmaster but I'm good." James replied. "Was Snivellous arrested?"

"Unfortunately, he managed to slip through, no thanks to the number of people at the Three Broomsticks that supported. Lily had vouched for him as well." Dumbledore replied.

"He must have slipped some sort of mind control potion into her drink to make her like that!" James snarled.

"I agree. But do not worry." The Headmaster spoke. "I already have a number of rituals ready that can break whatever he has over her. The only thing is that you have to soul-bond yourself to Lily in order to keep her away from dark influences."

James grinned, seeing a way to get what he wanted from this arrangement. It was the perfect opportunity with no one getting in his way. "I'm in, Headmaster. When can we start this?"

"Very good." Dumbledore replied. "I can do it now if you so wish. The earlier this is done, the better it is in the long run. I shall fetch Lily now. Put your Invisibility Cloak on now."

Turning to Fawkes, Dumbledore nodded to his phoenix familiar, which then flamed out. A few minutes passed before they heard a knock on the gargoyle outside before the Headmaster allowed admittance. Lily then stepped in, eyeing the Headmaster warily. After what happened in Hogsmeade, the redhead wondered on how she could have ever looked up to him in the first place without missing the alarming signals.

"You wanted to speak to me?" Lily asked before taking a seat just as the gargoyle slammed shut.

"Yes, I do." Dumbledore replied in his grandfatherly tone. "The reason I called you here is because I believe that Severus has placed you under a powerful spell and you refuse to see how evil he is, always defending him. His three-year absence only tells on what he might have learned and we must do what is necessary to free you from him."

Immediately, magical ropes appeared around Lily, who struggled and tried to scream for help yet a Silencing Spell struck and kept her mute. The Headmaster then nodded to an empty corner, which wasn't empty as James pulled his Invisibility Cloak off. Lily glared at him with hatred itched in her eyes. Why were they doing this to her?!

"Hello Lily-Flower." James spoke in a condescending voice, caressing her cheek only to slap when she tried to bite him.

"Removing the dark influences that Severus has over you will require a soul-bond to young James Potter here and it is for the Greater Good that this is to be done." Dumbledore spoke in a very sickly voice that reflected deranged madness. "Since this is rather a sensitive process, I shall spare you from witnessing all of this. Do not worry, my dear. It will be all over momentarily."

With that, Dumbledore stunned Lily unconscious and she would neither hear the Latin words spoken nor see the runes and magic that would forcefully soul-bind her to James Potter. But amidst the rituals, neither the Headmaster nor James would notice a certain Anglican cross that was hidden within Lily's bosom.

III:::III


	6. Field Setup

Note: I don't own anything.

For those familiar with the Toaru series, be warned as since this is a crossover, I'll be tweaking things between the two series with considerable changes so character differences are inevitable. Once again, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

On another note, Philomena is an actual canonized saint and her story is very interesting.

IIII::::IIII

Nothing in the vast metropolis of Academy City on the archipelago of Japan evaded the watchful sight of Aleister Crowley, who remained suspended upside down within the containment vat and connected to various machines set by Heaven Canceler to prolong his lifespan. The Windowless Building was both his perch and throne most fitting for a man, who was once known to be the greatest wizard of modern times in the West. But that all changed and the memories left Aleister seething on how those times led him to his fate.

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald, two names that would have him forever seething with rage. Though decades had passed, Aleister could still remember the tragedies that would forever remained seared into his mind. Long ago, he was the greatest in the magical world, influencing modern Western magic with his theories and pushing the boundaries of sorcery to new levels. When he moved his family to Godric's Hollow to finish an extension to The Book of the Law that he had written long ago, he met Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald. Both of them were young men and had been parading dreams of a world where magic rules all. At first, Aleister thought it had been just childish dreams but made his decision in being a mentor to both, teaching them about magic and his philosophies. That time was short-lived and it was long before both men were looking into the legendary Deathly Hollows. Aleister didn't know how they discovered the existence to the Book of the Law although he suspected that his own carelessness might have been the cause. Denying them access to his most prized tome, Aleister unknowingly made enemies of both but the seething hatred against the pair would flare when Albus and Gellert actually used what little knowledge they gained to supplement an experiment that the latter had once done during his days in Durmstrang. Though it had been decades ago, the memory still haunted Aleister to this very day.

FLASHBACK

_Aleister had never felt such fear that now twisted its way through his feet, pausing every step he took on the ruins before him. He couldn't remember how long it had been since his initial arrival and the first sense that alerted him to something gone wrong. The blazing flames and the scattered bodies that littered the grounds near the homes made Aleister feel nauseous._

'_Laelia, Lilicia, please be okay.'_

_As Aleister continued through the ruins, he quickly sped the pace the moment he saw his home and the quiet pleadings in his mind were awarded by the sight of a young blond-haired woman cradling a young girl with platinum hair, both lying on the ground with their eyes open yet unseeing. Aleister quickly ran over to his wife and daughter, checking them and finding no pulse. The cold flesh of their bodies and the absence of life and magic was more than enough to shatter the hope he held vainly to. Trembling hands pulled both into his arms as Aleister wept heavily, the sorrow of his loss too great for him to bear as it shattered his hope and the world collapsed around him. So distracted Aleister was in his grief that he didn't notice the presence of two wizards approaching, their wands drawn, until one of them spoke._

"_So you've returned."_

_Aleister looked to see both Albus and Gellert standing some distance from him, his eyes narrowing at the pair. "You've taken so many lives here on a reckless venture. How many more must die because of you two?"_

"_The loss is regrettable but even so, there is no point in dwelling on the past." Albus replied._

"_Even after your brother Aberworth and your sister Ariana were also among the slain, you still seek to justify all this?" Aleister could barely keep his temper in check._

"_Not justify, Aleister." Gellert replied. "Only coming to terms with it."_

"_It seems in your quest for power, you've cast aside your regards for life itself. I had not thought it possible for you two to do so."_

_A smile grazed Albus's face. "Now, there is no need for any insulting jabs at this point. The three of us have been friends and you had been our mentor." _

_Albus cast a scathing look at the dead bodies of Aleister's wife and daughter. "But every step to greatness requires sacrifices and you should relinquish such attachments. Clinging to the past is something that I'm sure a man such as yourself at your age has grown past."_

"_My wife and daughter meant everything to me." Aleister spoke with conviction. "I will never let go of them."_

"_This is a rare opportunity that we are offering." Albus said. "Gellert and I have sought the power to overcome Death. With you at our side, we can bring the whole world to its knees and nothing can be denied to us. Eternal life, think about it. Surely, it's a greater gift than what Laelia and Lilicia could grant."_

Tempting as it was, Aleister wasn't swayed whatsoever by Albus's words. "Protecting what you can and living with the understanding that death will come when it comes. Nothing is greater than that and I reject everything you both can ever give."

"_You've thrown away survival then." Albus said, shaking his head in disappointment. "Stay in the past if you wish. When you pull your head from the sand, you will see that the world is no more of what you remember and you will die because of it."_

"_Let's leave him to wail over his useless family." Gellert said before turning to leave. Albus then began to depart but not before adding his bit._

"_Farewell. Perhaps down the road, you will see more clearly and I hope that our next meeting will be more amicable."_

_And Aleister was left alone in the ruins of Godric's Hollow to mourn his wife and daughter._

FLASHBACK ENDS

It wasn't long before Aleister crossed paths with Albus and Gellert once more some years later, finding both of them sacrificing many young children in a grotesque experiment of horrors. That event saw Aleister openly stepping in to avenge not only his wife and daughter but also for the lives that both men had taken in their quest for power. But thanks to the Elder Wand and their skills, Albus and Gellert managed to survive Aleister's wrath and the Ministry's arrival forced the rage-filled mage to fall back and flee. Even now, Aleister lamented in not having the Blasting Rod with him at that time while committing the classic mistake in allowing his emotions to cloud his judgment. Though he had fled, Aleister didn't leave the country unscathed. While Heaven Canceler saved his life when he reached Japan, the damage Aleister sustained had rendered him unable to live normally and thus, he was confined within a containment vat that was linked to various machines. The might of science was something that he had recognized long before the terrible events that killed his wife and daughter. Now it was due to science and the advances of technology that allowed Aleister to live although never able to walk in the free world.

As Academy City continued to flourish with countless espers, Aleister couldn't deny the reaches of science and it's potential to match magic on an even field. Having long vanished from the magical world, he was safe in his confines yet still hoped to somehow conclude his unfinished business in magical Britain.

IIII::::IIII

The moment one of the Death Eaters unleashed a Killing Curse at Acqua's back, all hell broke loose and it would be a day that no one in Voldemort's camp would ever forget. For Acqua of the Back, he was a little disappointed on how physically unfit his would-be adversaries were. The Death Eater that fired the Killing Curse at his back ended up getting decapitated almost immediately and Acqua didn't waste time as he easily maneuvered around the other enemies that tried to gang up on him.

"Get him!" Bellatrix screeched while taking aim. "Crucio!"

"Continue this fight and your lives will be forfeit." Acqua warned, easily bringing up a wall of ice to block the Cruciatus Curse. Though it shattered into shards to neutralize the curse, Acqua immediately sent them at Bellatrix, who quickly brought up a large-area Shield Charm to block.

The Ascalon tasted blood as Acqua counterattacked against the Death Eaters, cleaving through flesh and bone faster than a hot knife going through butter. Dispatching his foes was so easy that he didn't even have to use much of his power as a Saint, let alone the Divine Mother's Mercy against his foes. Even Bellatrix and Lucius had second thoughts in fighting this man as they stood their ground at long range while throwing lethal curses at Acqua, though it only kept him at bay for a time. Tom Riddle aka Lord Voldemort and Heir of Slytherin could not believe on how this fight, one-sided as it appeared, was lost before it even started. Having expected for this man to be overwhelmed, it had turned into a terrible rout. This man couldn't be a Muggle at all whatsoever to have slain his party of Death Eaters with only a huge sword at speeds beyond what even a wizard was capable of. With only his two lieutenants left, the Dark Lord realized that fighting Acqua would not favor him whatsoever before he signaled a retreat to Bellatrix and Lucius, all three Disapparating away just as the last Death Eater was cut down.

Seeing the Dark Lord and his two minions withdraw, Acqua scoffed at their retreat but at least gave them credit to have enough common sense to know a losing battle when they saw it. But now, he needed to get the Pope some medical attention, making a call on his satellite phone for additional escorts.

Once in the Riddle Manor, Voldemort sat in silence as he contemplated the turn of events. It would be a bit difficult to recruit enough to replace the losses within a short period and he would have to think carefully about attacks outside of Britain next time should he run into that man again. The mention about the group that Acqua called God's Right Seat had Voldemort wary and he suspected their ties to the Roman Catholic Church. Vento of the Front and now Acqua of the Back. Just what kind of people are they to have that much power?! But power was something that the Dark Lord craved and never shared. He was the greatest wizard and no one, not even God's Right Seat, should be a threat to him! However, today's events showed on how wrong he was on that assessment and this meant planning thoroughly to see on what they were capable of.

"God's Right Seat." The Dark Lord muttered in deep thought. "Vento of the Front and Acqua of the Back are just two members of that group. Lucius! I want you to look up whatever information you can about God's Right Seat and whatever connections they have to the Roman Catholic Church. Do whatever it takes. Both you and Bellatrix are dismissed."

"Yes, milord." Lucius bowed before exiting with Bellatrix in tow. He too wanted to learn more about this group, having been shocked by this turn of events. The Dark Lord's assignment would only make this easier for him.

"We might need to prepare just in case our lord encounters another one like that man." Lucius spoke.

"Are you doubting our lord's power?" Bellatrix hissed, causing Lucius to turn and look her squarely in the eyes.

"I do not doubt our lord's power but just look at what happened earlier." Lucius replied. "This Acqua of the Back had cut down so many of our brethren and he didn't even have to put effort into it! In fact, I doubt that he was even using a quarter of his power! Those following our lord are outclassed so we need to help them get stronger to fight threats like God's Right Seat. I want you to get whatever useful there are from the Black Family library and bring them here."

"You don't order me around, Malfoy!" Bellatrix snarled.

"Maybe not but if you care about our lord, you will do that so he'll be able to deal with such wild card threats." Lucius snapped before walking away.

IIII::::IIII

Lily could still remember everything that had transpired before blacking out.

Screaming within the prison of her own mind, Lily tried to break the magic imprisoning her yet whatever Dumbledore and Potter had used proved too strong to overcome. The redhead had no sense of time to really know on what was likely going in the real world where her corporeal existence thrived. Nonetheless, she still continued to fight yet her efforts were for naught as whatever elements binding her began to gain the advantage. Over time, her will to win faltered before dying. It wasn't long before her will to resist followed suit and now her sense of self was the last element in danger of being taken from her.

"Please…" Lily whimpered.

Tears welled in her eyes as the sense of hopelessness enveloped its arms of despair around her, drowning her in an ocean of darkness. Try as she might, Lily couldn't steady herself against the overwhelming tides before being drawn into the depths, grasping in vain for life. The welling feeling of weakness and the sorrow in not being able to regain her true self was too heavy to bear, leaving Lily yearning for an end to it all.

"Please help…" Lily cried, her thoughts going to Severus as she sank into the depths of the ocean with the darkness close to enveloping her. It was suddenly then that a bright light pierced through the darkness and Lily then felt someone pull her out of the ocean of despair. Looking into the light, the redhead lost her vision and, try as she might, Lily could not look away and neither could her eyes see through the light before hearing a feminine voice filling her ears, singing such a beautiful melody.

"Who are you?" Lily asked blindly before the singing stopped.

"I was the daughter of a prince who governed a small state in Greece generations ago. My mother was also of royal blood." The voice replied. "I heard your cry and answered, drawing you from the evil workings that would've twisted you entirely."

"I thank you for your help." Lily replied. "But why can I not see you in this light?"

"I have long passed on, entering the realm where my Heavenly Spouse welcomed me." The voice replied. "Humankind cannot glimpse at those, who dwell in Heaven. Nonetheless, we can reach out to them just as I am with you."

"You said you had passed on long ago." Lily said. "Will you tell me who you are in that life and time?"

"Though of royalty, both of my parents were without children." The voice began speaking her tale. "As idolaters, they continually offered sacrifices and prayers to their false gods but all was in vain. A doctor from Rome named Publius lived in the palace in the service of my father. This doctor professed Christianity. Seeing the affliction of my parents, he spoke and promised to pray for them if they consented to receive baptism. The Holy Spirit, which accompanied his words, enlightened their understanding and triumphed over their will. They became Christians and obtained the long desired happiness that Publius had assured them as the reward of their conversion. At the moment of my birth, they gave me the name of Lumina, an allusion to the light of Faith of which I had been, as it were, the fruit. The day of my Baptism they called me Philomena, daughter of light, because on that day I was born to the Faith. The affection, which my parents bore me, was so great that they would have me always with them."

Lily was amazed at the recounting of events that occurred in the lifetime of Philomena, who continued her story.

"It was on this account that they took me to Rome for my father was obliged to make, hoping to avoid an unjust war that Diocletian threatened him with. I was then thirteen years old. On our arrival in the capital, we proceeded to the palace of the emperor and were admitted for an audience. As soon as Diocletian saw me, his eyes were fixed upon me. He appeared to be prepossessed in this manner during the entire time that my father was stating everything that could serve for his defense. As soon as my father had ceased to speak, the emperor desired him to be disturbed no longer, to banish all rear, to think only of living in happiness."

Philomena paused before continuing. "These are the Emperor's words, _'I shall place at your disposal all the force of the Empire. I ask only one thing, that is the hand of your daughter.'_ My father dazzled with an honor he was far from expecting before willingly acceded on the spot to the proposal of the emperor. When we returned to our own dwelling, Father and Mother did all they could to induce me to yield to Diocletian's wishes and to theirs. I cried. _'Do you wish that for the love of a man I should break the promise I have made to Jesus Christ? My virginity belongs to Him. I can no longer dispose of it.'_

'_But you were young then, too young,'_ answered my father, _'to have formed such an engagement.'_

He joined the most terrible threats to the command that he gave me to accept the

hand of Diocletian. The grace of my God rendered me invincible. My father, not being able to make the emperor relent, in order to disengage himself from the promise he had given, was obliged by Diocletian to bring me to the Imperial Chamber. I had to withstand for sometime beforehand a new attack from my father's anger. My mother, uniting her efforts to his, endeavored to conquer my resolution. Caresses, threats, everything was employed to reduce me to compliance. At last I saw both of my parents fall at my knees and say to me with tears in their eyes, _'My child, have pity on your father, your mother, your country, our country, our subjects.'_

'_No, no!'_ I answered. _'My purity, which I have vowed to God, comes before everything, before you, before my country. My kingdom is Heaven.'_

My words plunged them into despair and they brought me before the emperor who, on his part, did all in his power to win me. But his promises, his allurements, his threats, were equally useless. He then got into a violent fit of anger and, influenced by the devil, had me cast into one of the prisons of the palace, where I was loaded with chains. Thinking that pain and shame would weaken the courage with which my Divine Spouse inspired me, he came to see me every day. After several days, the emperor issued an order for my chains to be loosed that I might take a small portion and bread and water. He renewed his attacks, some of which, if not for the grace of God, would have been fatal to purity. The defeats, which he always experienced, were for me preludes to new tortures. I ceased not to recommend myself to Jesus and his Holy Mother. My captivity lasted thirty-seven days, when in the midst of a heavenly light, I saw Mary holding her Divine Son in her arms.

'_My daughter.'_ She said to me, _'three days more of prison and after forty days you shall leave this state of pain.'_

Such happy news renewed my courage to prepare for the frightful combat awaiting. The Queen of Heaven reminded me of the name I had received in Baptism saying, '_You are Lumina, as your Spouse is called Light or Sun. Fear not for I will aid you. Now, nature, whose weakness asserts itself, is humbling you. In the moment of struggle, grace will come to you to lend its force. The angel who is mine also, Gabriel, whose name expresses force, will come to your aid. I will recommend you especially to his care.'_

The vision disappeared leaving my prison scented with a fragrance like incense. I experienced a joy out of his world. Something indefinable. What the Queen of Angels had prepared for me was soon experienced for Diocletian, despairing of bending me, decided upon public chastisement to offend my virtue. He condemned me to be stripped and scourged like the Holy Lord I preferred to him. These were his horrifying words, _'Since she rejects an emperor like me in favor of the malefactor condemned to an infamous death by his own people, she deserves that my justice shall treat her as he was treated.' _"

Philomena paused and, while Lily couldn't exactly see her, she had a feeling that the saint was reliving the horrible memories of her life. It was a moment later that Philomena continued.

"The prison guards hesitated to unclothe me entirely, but they did tie me to a column in the presence of the great men of the court. They lashed me with violence until I was bathed in blood. My whole body felt like one open wound but I did not faint. The tyrant had me dragged back to the dungeon expecting me to die. I hoped to join my heavenly Spouse."

Immediately, Lily was barraged by visions of the past. She saw a beautiful young girl with long dark hair and chained to a stone column with only her back exposed and being struck repeatedly by whips and various other instruments of torture. The young girl's screams of pain made the hairs on her neck stand on the end and the sight made Lily cry out in sorrow for Philomena, whose clothes were stained in her blood while her body bore the terrible scars all over. She had been thrown into her cell to bleed and die in a pool of her own blood. Sorrow turned into awe when Lily saw two angels appear before the bloody Philomena and healed her wounds with an unknown balm, pulling her from death.

Lily then saw Philomena, fully healed with no trace of her torture and standing beautifully before Diocletian just moments prior to the guards seizing her. An anchor had been placed around her neck and Philomena was pushed into a river. But the two angels that healed her earlier appeared, cutting the anchor off and bringing her to shore. The days of torture followed yet Philomena did not yield for her fortitude was completely impervious to the threats and injuries Diocletian inflicted upon her. Lily then saw Philomena chained to a column and shot with numerous arrows. Yet, just like the aftermath of the scourging, Philomena survived and was healed. The following day saw Philomena once more being shot by arrows but the projectiles didn't even come close to landing. A second time, the arrows were shot with their heads blazing a fiery red. To Lily's surprise, the flaming arrows not only failed to even come close to Philomena but turned around and killed six of the archers as though by magic. Despite the horrific experiences, Lily couldn't deny the fortitude and conviction that Philomena displayed, never wavering from her beliefs while staying true to herself and her faith.

"Diocletian was determined to hasten my death by piercing my neck with a lance." Philomena's voice cut through Lily's mind. "My soul took flight towards my heavenly Spouse, who placed me with the crown of virginity and the palm of martyrdom in a distinguished place among the elect. The day that was so happy for me and saw me enter into glory was Friday, the third hour after midday, the same hour that saw my Divine Lord expire from the earth."

The visions ended and Lily noticed the brightness of the light fading, finding herself now standing on a grassy field not far from a large river, all underneath a beautiful blue sky. Although there was no one else around that she could see, Lily knew that she wasn't alone.

"The cross you wear around your neck in the land of the living was made from remnants of the anchor that had been used to execute me by drowning." Philomena spoke. "Your friend Severus doesn't know that any relic belonging a saint, especially one linked to their life or martyrdom, is more than just a symbol. I can touch you from the heavenly realm just as I am now and it wasn't fate that allowed this to happen. There is something that I want you to do for me."

"What is it that you desire of me to do?" Lily asked.

"Not long after my death, both of my parents were killed by Diocletian and their kingdom driven into the ground." Philomena began. "Though they pillaged the kingdom, Diocletian's men neglected the catacombs underneath the island that your era knows as Corfu. An ancient lance lies there within a chamber of lime, broken and untouched. Bring them along with seven loaves of bread to Gol'gotha, which lies outside of Jerusalem on the seventh day of the third month. On the third hour of that day, a young craftsman shall wander by, begging for alms. Give him the bread and in return, he will remake the broken lance right there before you into a holy weapon. But the time to slay the abomination that walks on your nation will only come on the day in which the souls of those that have yet to receive their hour shall be reconciled."

"Corfu, Greece. Gol'gatha outside of Jerusalem." Lily whispered, remembering everything Philomena was telling her before conceding. "As long as I continue to draw breath, I will oblige and carry out your will. I am very honored to have met you."

"Go in peace, child. May Lord be with you." Philomena replied.

Though she couldn't see it, Lily felt a pair of hands take hold of her own, bringing them together. Almost immediately, her vision went white and she knew no more.

Eyes opening widely, Lily found herself in bed before looking around to see that she was indeed in her dorm room. In addition, the redhead could sense that she had complete control over her mind, body, and soul. Whatever magic had bound her due to Dumbledore and Potter was no longer there, thank to Philomena stepping in. Lily silently thanked the heavenly saint while memories of what transpired in the realm of space and time resurfaced. After leaving the Headmaster's office, Lily now remembered going straight to the Gryffindor dormitories and slept the rest of the day, skipping Astronomy class. Perhaps the Enslavement Ritual required the victim to sleep to take full control but Lily was thankful for Severus giving her the Walking Church although her mind raced to Philomena's request. She would have to talk to Severus about it tomorrow. In regards to Dumbledore and Potter, Lily didn't think it would be prudent to blow the whistle and expose their crimes yet. The Headmaster's reputation was too ironclad to even tarnish, let alone dent. Still, that didn't mean she couldn't send the message that their plan had failed.

X-X-X

Severus was puzzled at the note from Lily to pack up his things and meet her near the Forbidden Forest, leaving him to wonder on what was going on. Was she trying to leave school early? Regulus had already done so in the middle of the night, leaving Severus a message that their new comrades had done the same to avoid unneeded confrontations at the train station but are heading towards the planned location. It was the last day of term and the issue of students leaving a bit early wasn't illegal, just frowned upon.

Once set, Severus made his way to the Forbidden Forest and waited. A few minutes passed before he saw Lily appear with her trunk behind her.

"Lily, I got your note and came here as you asked." Severus said.

"That's good." Lily replied. "I want to leave immediately and get to the meeting point. I think I heard Potter tailing me earlier so we should go now."

Her last sentence confirmed it when both of them heard James Potter calling for Lily in the distance. He wasn't alone as Peter was with him. The moment he saw them, his wand was already drawn and aimed at Severus. "Lily, get away from Snivellous! Everte Statum!"

To James's shock, Lily quickly cast a Shield Charm that rebounded the spell back at him, sending him flying across the grounds. Why is she attacking him? Wasn't Dumbledore's enslavement ritual suppose to ensure her loyalty or did Snivellous step in the way again? Such questions raced through his mind but it seemed that the auburn beauty wasn't finished as she quickly began non-verbally a variety of hexes at him. James barely deflected the incoming barrage and Peter tried to assist him. But Lily, seeing only red, easily hurled Peter into a tree with ease before focusing on breaking through James' defense, which didn't last long. Yet, even after taking him down, she still continued to rain spell after spell on her target. Severus could see a variety of simple hexes from the earlier years in school and then some interesting curses involving fire and lightning. None of them were lethal but getting hit by a barrage of minor hexes and some medium-level curses meant a world of hurt.

Despite seeing Lily outnumbered in a two-on-one fight, Severus simply watched Lily, knowing that she had this well in hand although the ferocity did raise a question on what had happened for her to go all-out like this. Seeing Lily finally cease her assault, Severus watched James lying on the ground, unconscious with severe injuries and some of his limbs were twitching.

"I'm not through with you, Potter!" Lily spat before stomping on his hand, hearing a crack underneath her heel. She then cast a Reductor Curse on his wand, shattering it to pieces.

"We better go before the teachers arrive, Lily." Severus spoke as he summoned his trunk and brought out the ruler Portkey. Shaking her head and regaining her composure, Lily simply gathered her trunk before joining Severus and both of them ran into the forest despite hearing the castle doors open in the distance. Once Severus detected that they were out of the range of castle's wards, he and Lily then used the Portkey to leave.

Appearing on a grassy lawn, both of them noticed the large church standing before them. The marble structure and masonry showed Roman influences on architecture, likely just for show. Though considered abandoned, Severus used it as a safe house on some occasions and now it was likely going to serve that purpose for those students that had chosen to follow him.

"Hey, Severus!" a feminine voice called out, causing him to turn and see Sister Lucia and another girl with blond hair and sapphire eyes.

Lily scowled a bit at the sight of the fifteen-year old Claire Greengrass, who was like a younger copy of her nineteen year-old sister Charlotte. Even though Lily secretly befriended the Greengrass sisters, their appearances were something that she had been a bit conscious about. Overall, naturally developing early into well-proportionate busty beauties was a feat that made Charlotte and Claire hot commodities among the purist circles with countless marriage offers sent their way.

But from what Lily knew, both sisters along with their parents had refused the offers, leading them to be ostracized and labeled as blood traitors by their former peers. That also started an internal feud between their parents and their uncle and his wife, the latter pair had joined the Death Eaters and eventually killed them last summer. Both Charlotte and Claire had fled yet were pursued by Death Eaters and the chaos caused them to be separated. Claire had been fortunate to find Regulus, who hid her away. Charlotte had been in more peril, having been cornered in a graveyard and disabled by Nott and Dolohov. Both of them were about to rape her only to be ambushed by a sixteen-year old Muggle named Naoto Inoue, who had been working a job for Mundungus Fletcher. Naoto was in the middle of retrieving a small cache of diamonds from the graveyard for the man when the commotion drew his attention. In their apparent eagerness and lust, both Dolohov and Nott let their guard down, thus allowing Naoto to cripple the pair with a mere machete and forcing them to Apparate in retreat. How a mere Muggle managed to overpower two adult wizards was a mystery although Charlotte mentioned about Naoto moving faster than a normal Muggle was capable of. When Severus introduced the Necessarius as the third party, all three had been present.

"Sister Lucia, glad to see you here." Severus replied. "Greetings, Claire. I hope you and Charlotte have been doing well."

"The same can be said for you, Brother Severus." Lucia replied, smiling despite her ever-so serious expression.

"I'm doing well although I think Charlotte is feeling much better than me." Claire replied, causing Lucia to roll her eyes and turn away as though not wanting to be present at the moment. "I'll just say that you won't be seeing Charlotte and Naoto until either tonight or tomorrow as they're still… exhausted if you know what I mean."

It was at that moment did Lucia walked towards a nearby tree before leaning against the trunk while Lily and Severus figured out what Claire was implying on.

"Seriously?" Lily asked in surprise and Claire nodded.

'_Lucky bastard.' _Severus thought. '_Where the pureblood wizards failed in even getting her attention, a mere Muggle succeeded in getting Charlotte's consent to take her virginity despite being three years younger than her.'_

"You know, Lucia sure can be quite the eye-catcher like Lily had she not been a nun or had that kind of conservative decorum." Claire remarked in a teasing manner.

"I think you shouldn't have said that." Severus replied as rapid footsteps drew their attention before Claire found herself face-to-face with Lucia.

"Let me clarify this for you just this once." Lucia spoke in a frigid tone. "A nun does not need beautiful looks or large breasts! A nun is supposed to separate herself from every kind of desire and those things only bring the danger of tempting men! It is Sister Orsola and I that have the faults here!"

The blonde nun then stalked back into the church without another word.

"Whoa, is she having that time of the month of something?" Claire mused, regaining her bearings from being shouted at.

"No, she's just like that when not liking certain comments pertaining to herself." Severus replied before glancing at Lily. "Although having been familiar with her behavior, I do wonder if Lucia might be related to you in some ways. You both seem to have similar tempers."

"Hey!" Lily protested, lightly punching Severus's arm yet seemed rather flattered. "Trust me when I say that a blonde can do better in anger management class than a redhead. It feels liberating in letting it all out just like I did to Potter and Pettigrew."

"You're going to have to tell me about what happened." Severus replied, rubbing his arm.

"A little later once I'm more calm." Lily said.

Severus simply nodded before turning to Claire. "Anyways, have you checked to see that everyone on the list is accounted for?"

"Everyone's here and Freeman is currently explaining rules and regulations for their new homes in Cascade Longbow." Claire replied. "He sure chose some wonderful coasts to build those homes."

"St. Abbs isn't far from Cascade Longbow but both are remote enough so they're good spots." Severus remarked. "Anyways, so it's just assignment of new homes for those here?"

"That and Freeman will be having some house elves to fetch their belongings. The other elves and some of the monks and nuns have been tasked to helping them adapt to their new lives along with offering moral support if needed." Claire replied. "Anyways, I'm heading back inside to help some sweets for the younger children and I want you both to help."

A moment later, despite Claire acting like a military drill instructor, Lily and Severus were contently making and baking an influx of delicious warm cookies and pastries.

IIII:::IIII

After seeing James and Peter tended to, Dumbledore went over to the Ministry. How did that Snape boy break those ritual bonds? There was no way he would've been able to do so! But perhaps this might be an opening to have him labeled as a Dark Wizard and a Death Eater all the same. Only Dark Magic could've undone this and Lily's erratic behavior could be explained in an altered version of the events. Albus had been busy in getting Remus's arrest and expulsion from Hogwarts overturned, resorting to some subtle yet very illegal means to do so. So far, it was still in progress but he hoped it would turn out well in the end. Overturning Sirius Black's expulsion was easier and he would soon be back in the school. The only problem was that he couldn't expel Severus Snape until he had the Board of Governors under his complete control. The hearing was to take place in January and that was when he would spring his plan. Some of the work and magic he and Gellert learned would be put to use on that day. His old friend may have officially been deposed and imprisoned but Gellert was still helping Albus from behind scenes. Their legendary duel having been a complete setup just to continue a goal that they both had longed for. The stupidity of the magical world and it's narrow-minded thinking made it so easy to fool. Keeping up with the deception was child's play.

Some time later, the Headmaster left the Ministry with a smile on his face. Thanks to a few compulsion charms and some well-placed falsifications, the Head for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement issued a warrant for Severus's arrest. Perhaps now, it'll make it easier for the Headmaster to keep tabs on him after the Prince family obtains custody of their grandson. Given that Petunia didn't want to have anything to do with Lily and that there were no relatives to assume custody, the guardianship for the underage girl was given by default to the Headmaster. The lack of a will from Lily's parents left her vulnerable on the custody issue and Dumbledore planned to place her back under the enslavement ritual. Charles and Athena Potter would be there this time to strength it. Now he just needed to find her or wait until term restarts again. Amidst all of his scheming, Dumbledore wasn't aware that someone was about to put a wrench in the gears.

IIII::::IIII

In her office, Laura looked at the stunningly blond-haired beauty in a formal blue business dress that she knew to be Ophelia Seyfried, who looked as though she could give Veelas a competitive run in the looks department. Despite the fact that all of Ophelia's great-great-grandparents were Muggle-born witches and wizards, the Ministry classed her as a first generation pureblood even if the extremist few didn't. Long ago, before her parents were killed, Laura's predecessor had promised them that he would look after Ophelia. Now she was twenty-five and already a formidable barrister that few could match in magical Britain. Secretly, Ophelia placed her loyalty to the Anglican Church and, while Laura did have some insiders within the Ministry, the blonde was the main eyes and ears of what went on in the government.

"So the Princes will be wanting custody of Severus." Laura said. "How strong is their case?"

"Without those old laws, it's very weak." Ophelia replied. "However, thanks to your clerk, I did manage to dig through some records and found that Eileen Prince had filled out a Lineage Secession Clause shortly after her disownment. Even though a rare few would remember that option still being offered, the document was secretly filed away. I have a copy and that should neuter the Prince family case, no matter how many lawyers they bring to the table."

"That's good although it would help to get a bit more evidence to at least guarantee free passage for Severus." Laura suggested. "Anyways, you mentioned that Severus has an arrest warrant from the DMLE."

"That's true." Ophelia said. "But strangely, Albus Dumbledore was in the office before the warrant was made. I later found out that it had something to do with Severus using the Imperius Curse on a student named Lily Evans and for a near-fatal attack on two other students, James Potter and Peter Pettigrew."

"I see." Laura murmured. "I will have to get the truth out of him. But I doubt Severus would do such a thing."

"I too think that this is hard to swallow." Ophelia said. "Still, if you can get Pensieve memories, then those will show the truth of the matter. I'll see what else will be needed to help exonerate him of whatever is thrown his way."

"Thank you. You can leave now." Laura replied and Ophelia left.

IIII:::IIII

At an airport in London, a young teen with spiky black hair and wearing casual attire emerged in company of a silver-haired nun. What were the odds of him receiving a free all-expense-paid trip to the British Isles from Academy City's administration? Perhaps it was compensation for the short-lived trip to Italy although he hoped there wasn't any trouble this time.

"Hmm…" Touma looked at the information sheet in his hand. Ever one to go frugal with expenses, he was hoping to find where Orsola was staying, knowing that the nun is now part of the Anglican Church. Speaking of nuns, he turned to see that his companion was gone. Before he could even began to look, a commotion drew his attention and Touma felt like crying at the sight of Index receiving a stack of hamburgers from a nearby McDonald's stand. He hadn't even gotten the proper currency and she was already feasting!

"Such misfortune." Touma muttered sadly, knowing on how expensive the Great Britain Pound in contrast to the Japanese Yen. Perhaps it wasn't a good idea to give Index an allowance if she was going to spend like this.

IIII:::IIII


	7. Three, Two, One

Note: I don't own anything.

I know I'm behind and real life is a burden right now. Anyways, I tweaked a bit with Chapter 1-5 as I noticed on how choppy I've made the timelines according to an anonymous reviewer's PM. She had a valid point and, besides… "Errors aren't mistakes unless people refuse to correct them."

It's a short chapter for now while I try to build a bigger one next time.

IIII::::IIII

Tom Riddle might have been angry about the Hogsmeade attack turning into a rout but given that only some of the fresh recruits had been captured or killed, he felt that it at least showed on who had the brains to do what was necessary. Instead of meting out his wrath, he simply dismissed the survivors, levying them with the task of recruiting replacements either here or overseas even though he had a growing legion at home alone. He even ordered them to reach out to any Dark creature that they could find for it seemed that having only witches and wizards leading attacks can only go so far. Punishing them wasn't exactly something he needed to do right now, especially when other threats besides the Order of the Phoenix and the Ministry warrant his attention. Losing followers, no matter how small the number, is something that he had to keep track of.

His mind was still on the subject regarding God's Right Seat along with the recent tomes coming in from the libraries of his followers. Looking through them, he had gotten a grand idea from a number of archaic rituals dating back to the Druidic times and knew that once done, not even God's Right Seat could stop him. The only problem is that he didn't calculate the setbacks on such rituals yet and those were things he needed to look into just in case. His Horcruxes may save him should something go wrong but getting this done correctly the first time meant everything.

Nagini slithered by, informing him that Adrian Greengrass was outside before Voldemort allowed him entry. From what he knew, the Death Eater had been pruning undesirables from the Greengrass line, having killed his brother Adam and his sister-in-law Beatrice. His two nieces, Charlotte and Claire, had gone into hiding and, having heard about the number of pureblood wizards that desired them, the Dark Lord had made note to let his followers have their way with them should they ever be captured, the price both would pay for being blood traitors.

"Rise, Greengrass." Voldemort spoke, seeing the man bowing before him. "What is it are you here for?"

"My lord, I established contact with the Purist Conclave and their liaison disclosed that they have decided on a mutual agreement." Adrian spoke. "They will provide logistics and assist on matters that all parties involved can benefit from. Unfortunately, an alliance isn't in their interests mostly because they prefer to run independently and see the use of force as the last resort."

"Understandable." Voldemort replied. "I didn't expect them to agree on an alliance and follow me anyways but this is enough for now. Dismissed."

Once Adrian left, Voldemort went into meditation, sensing those followers through the Dark Mark that he personally branded them with. The Purist Conclave could tip the scales in his favor even though they weren't as fanatic as the Death Eaters. Expectations may be high but he was sane enough to understand the need for patience. For now, the Dark Lord planned to at least explain some new objectives that the Death Eaters were to follow for wars aren't always won on the battlefield. Laying low for a few days might try his patience but even he knew the tact of choosing the time and place to make a statement on his own terms.

Still, that didn't mean he wasn't going to at least remind magical Britain on who is going to be their lord and master in the future. Sifting through his ranks, Tom came across a handful of followers that he certainly can no use for other than cheap firepower. They had joined simply for power and prestige yet didn't have the brains or talents that would make them valuable.

After summoning some of his inner circle, Tom went to work for he already had a plan in mind.

IIIII::::IIIII

Sitting in his room, Regulus thought about the covert actions that he had taken as of late. Having been raised in the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, he wouldn't deny being a stuck-up pureblood from his upbringing. Given his heritage and being a part of Slytherin House, the expectations of him learning the Dark Arts and becoming a Death Eater were all too obvious among the views of both friends and enemies. After his older brother Sirius had been disowned, Regulus found himself having to step up in becoming the heir that both of his parents expected him to be. Orion and Walburga had long championed the pureblood supremacy, seeing the encroachment of Muggle-borns as a cultural threat to the status quo and traditions long prevalent in the British magical world. It was somewhat synonymous to the conservative Tories viewing the liberal Whigs as threats within the political system of Muggle Britain. The purebloods were becoming a minority, fearing a change in their world would rip away everything they had held onto for centuries. His parents could still recall the days when the British purebloods viewed foreign purebloods with a xenophobic attitude and, while that had changed, there was still some trace remnant of the racism from those times. The encroachment of Muggle influences was the larger threat at the moment in the views of the pureblood families that want to maintain the status quo.

A pop disrupted his thoughts and Regulus looked to see that it was Kreacher, who bowed before speaking. "Mistress wants to see young master now in the study."

Standing up, Regulus left his room before heading downstairs to the study where Walburga beckoned for him to take a seat. A minute later, Orion entered the study before also taking a seat and Regulus noticed that his father looking as if he had just gone through a stressful conversation.

"It seems your father and I have been mistaken about this Voldemort character." Walburga began. "Recent events have come to light, leaving us little choice but to take measures needed to preserve our family."

Frowning, Regulus waited to hear more on what they had to say. For years, they had encouraged him to join the Death Eaters and resistance to that was often met with disownment, which was Sirius's fate in the family lineage along with Andromeda. The fact that they were considering on changing their minds was unusual as their stubbornness closed them to counter arguments. While Regulus did have his own reservations about the Death Eaters, even before Snape's return, the existence of the Necessarius and its concealed history, however, left him realizing that there are others with the capability of matching or even surpassing the Death Eaters. It was hard to imagine that the Church of England had a much larger stake in the magical world than perceived, making it a hidden player in the possible power struggle within the country. But still, given the reception he received, Regulus figured the collective as a means to an end. If they are more powerful than the Death Eaters, then he certainly wouldn't have to worry to being thrown in with a gang of mass murderers although the risk of trading one evil for another evil remained. But if Muggle-borns in the 16th century were capable of bringing magical Britain and the Wizard's Council to its knees, then the successive generation could very much learn from their forebears' mistake with even greater zeal and calculating intuition.

"I see." Regulus said. "So you wish to put family above all?"

"Indeed. With the Minister's approval, Crouch is pushing the Magical Law Enforcement to take more aggressive measures against the Death Eaters and those unknown vigilantes, although the latter have proven far more successful in completely evading capture." Orion spoke. "In addition, I heard that there is another pureblood group called the Purist Conclave, whose purposes align well with our beliefs. Though they do have some liaison with some of Voldemort's Death Eaters, the Purist Conclave isn't under his control, running independently and not taking part in any of the bloodbaths."

"The Purist Conclave is more of a growing political party rather than a militant group, extending beyond the borders of England." Walburga added. "We see the British version as a safer alternative to putting the family clout behind it. Cygnus and Druella aren't happy with our decision but didn't oppose it so there is at least some hope that we won't be targeted by Voldemort."

"And you are saying that you wish for me to join the Purist Conclave?" Regulus asked.

"It would be a wise decision if only to counteract the might that Dumbledore and his legion of Light families wield in our society along with preserving our culture and traditions." Walburga replied. "However, do not wed yourself completely to their cause. I hate to admit this but, given the divisions within the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, there is a likely chance that our generation will be no more down the road, leaving our House as nothing more than an empty shell of its former glory."

"If that ever happens, you will be the one to carry the House of Black and inheriting all that our primary lineage has held together." Orion added. "Your mother and I do not wish to see you being used like a pawn. Thus, while we will be putting our support behind the Purist Conclave, your duty is to remain safe and do whatever you must to survive. We hope that you will be the one to bring our house back to the way it was during its prime."

"I understand." Regulus answered, maintaining a stoic expression while bowing his head in deference. But in his mind, he had some trouble wrapping his mind around what was being asked. While he would have no problems in joining the Purist Conclave, his current accord with the Necessarius may be problematic. Severus had asked for complete secrecy of the Necessarius's existence until the archbishop gave her blessing to go forward. It was very amazing on how the collective had stayed hidden, thriving in the shadows away from the Wizards' Council and the current Ministry of Magic to this very day. The magical contract of secrecy that he had made was something not to regret, especially when his parents are indirectly giving him some free reign to safeguard his own life. Though they said it was a wise decision to join the Purist Conclave, that didn't mean they were ordering him to completely follow through with it and, given their shift from the Death Eaters, perhaps their survival instincts are kicking in. If this was their will, then so be it and Regulus would conduct himself well as any good pureblood son does.

"Is there anything else you wish for me to do?" Regulus asked.

"Nothing else but your father and I will be attending the Glasgow Estate where the British branch of the Purist Conclave is convening." Walburga replied. "Study hard for your O.W.L. exams."

"In addition, your mother and I also have decided that if you want to pursue a relationship with Claire Greengrass, then you have our blessing on that matter." Orion added. "Unladylike she may be, the girl is still a pureblood and you don't have to hide your association with her from us anymore. We hope you uphold the traditions."

Regulus simply nodded but was feeling elated within. Were his parents slowly loosening their authority around him? That might not be the case but perhaps they were at least hoping to concede to the point that their only son deserved some happiness despite their expectations. Regulua may never know for sure.

IIIII::::IIIII

The good news for Severus is the fact that he had finished taking care of business with the ICW, finishing a good number of exams equivalent to the N.E.W.T. and recognized by all nations that are members of the international collective. Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Astronomy, Herbology, and Potions were out of the way. It was a pity that he couldn't go further to get Charms and Transfiguration off the table while Defense Against the Dark Arts and History of Magic were too subjective to have international equivalents. Severus was surprised on the other subjects that were offered such as Elemental Origins and Magical Technology, giving him some thought on self-study.

The Ministry arrest warrant was bad news although Ophelia told him not to worry about it. Laura herself had asked for his side of the story and Severus had brought Lily in to back everything up. Though there was enough evidence from their Pensieve memories to undermine Dumbledore and have the charges dropped, the archbishop wanted to first consult with an old friend of hers, claiming that individual had some real incriminating evidence that would permanently damage the man's reputation. For Severus, he was astounded by the bogus charges that had been drummed up against him by the headmaster, making him feel as though he shouldn't have returned to Hogwarts at one point. But then again, there was always the desire to get an education, something that he felt to be a worthwhile experience no matter the adversity presented. Still, if push came to shove, Severus wasn't going to just let anyone deprive him of that for there are plenty of other schools worth going to.

In tandem to handling the arrest warrant, Ophelia was also representing him against his maternal grandparents. Given their disownment of Eileen long ago and her secret yet on-file secession clause from the Prince family, he didn't have any regrets on the course taken to ensure that they had no platform in the custody case. Severus didn't have any respect of his grandparents whatsoever, knowing full well on their contempt towards non-purebloods so it left him the question on their intentions.

After an ICW official Apparated with him to Manchester, Severus was left to his own devices and he brought out a Portkey, which was a Roman-era coin, before using it, feeling the tug behind his neck. After moving through the vortex, Severus landed on a large well-mowed lawn that surrounded a very large mansion, whose Roman architecture has stood unscathed by the passage of time due to its marble construction. This was no doubt the Greengrass Manor, the ancestral home that spawned a pureblood lineage going back even before the era of Britannia. Prior to his murder, Adam Greengrass had been the primary heir and had willed everything he owned to Charlotte and Claire. His younger brother Adrian, having been the secondary heir, had only a fraction of the overall properties and wealth, all of which was considerable in both status and wealth. Despite the patriarchal norm of inheritance, heiresses can become heads of their families and these matriarchal ladies were just as capable as their lord counterparts.

At the moment, Charlotte was the Head of the Greengrass House and not even Adrian could claim that from his niece. Severus had a feeling that the man wouldn't be satisfied with just a secondary branch of the Greengrass family despite being magically exiled from the main line in all but name. Bastard sons are known to be reactive.

A slight pop drew his attention and Severus turned to see a beautiful human woman with long blond hair, a curvy yet slender figure, and wearing attire reminiscent of a female knight. She even had a sword hanging from a belt at the side of her left hip. Severus remembered about Charlotte mentioning that she had hired a Veela combat group called the Arctic Valkyries as guards and combat instructors shortly after her parents' murder. Severus himself had actually encountered them while learning magical free-style combat in Scandinavia and one of them had been his instructor, not in the subject but also on his mental fortifications to resist the allure that also supplemented his Occlumency prowess. The Scandinavian Peninsula sure brought back memories where magical creatures were living on equal footing with the witches and wizards there.

"Greetings, sir." The woman spoke. "I am Adina. What is your name?"

"Severus Snape." Severus answered. Even if the Veela's allure didn't have much effect, the blonde's beauty and figure were another story.

"Ah, so you're the guest that Lady Greengrass is expecting today." Adina said. "Please follow me."

With that, Severus walked in tow as he entered the mansion and it wasn't long before he was brought to a huge living room with exquisite furniture of the finest quality. Severus had to be honest that the Malfoy family couldn't match up to this level of luxury, having remembered a visit he and a group of Slytherins once made on Lucius Malfoy's invitation.

At the far end of the living room, a pair of doors opened to reveal a tall beautiful young woman with long blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes and wearing a long-sleeve blouse that hugged her enormous breasts and jeans that looked skintight around her curvy hips and thighs. Despite his disciplined manners and looking squarely into Charlotte's eyes, Severus found it difficult to not ogle the busty blonde, who could go into modeling plus be a fitness instructor if she wanted.

"Hey Severus." Charlotte greeted.

"Hi Charlotte." Severus replied before retrieving the Portkey from his cloak and handing it over. "I just came by to return this."

"Thank you and it's a good thing that you didn't lose it." Charlotte said, pocketing the coin after wandlessly deactivating it with her family magic. "How did the exams go?"

"Hard but I think I did well." Severus replied. "There were a number of things that aren't taught in the British magical curriculum. If I hadn't studied alongside those monks and nuns, I would've been frozen."

"I can imagine them trying to use the threat of damnation in brimstone and fire to motivate you." Charlotte smirked. "Or maybe impose a ten-year sentence of celibacy on you if you fail."

"You can do that and not be wrong on the matter." Severus replied. "Although I wonder on how your parents would react to you jumping so far and deep with Naoto."

"I have no regrets because Naoto is fabulous in bed." Charlotte stated smugly, a sinful expression filled with pride on her face. "Besides, my parents wouldn't have any say in the matter and I look forward to seeing on how you and maybe Lily react to your first time."

Severus rolled his eyes and shook his head. Then the mention of Lily and himself in the same context caused him to turn red. "I don't know if Lily and I will ever get to first base. It's a bit of an accelerator after a three-year absence between us."

"Don't sell yourself short, Severus." Charlotte said, her tone becoming a bit serious yet also encouraging. "Even when you were gone, not a day has gone by when she hasn't thought of you and, despite the Gryffindor-Slytherin friction, I've been around her more than long enough to know these things. Trust me when I say that you have the best chance. Don't let your insecurities get in the way."

"I guess only time will tell." Severus replied with a bit of skepticism yet felt rather hopeful of the subject.

"Has there been any word on what the archbishop wants us to do?" Charlotte asked, changing the subject.

"Other than getting the Slytherins following us adjusted to their surroundings at Longbow Cascade and offer counseling, nothing else although Freeman has been helping them set up a community." Severus replied. "But I think the archbishop considers this to be my responsibility since I'm the one that brought them into this matter in the first-place. I'll call a meeting with them to figure out arrangements but right now, I need to head out to Manchester for some Christmas shopping."

"I hope you don't mind if Naoto and I tag along with you." Charlotte said. "We plan to meet up with Claire and Lily in London later in the evening."

"That's fine." Severus replied before seeing a gold eagle Patronus that both knew belonged to Claire, whose voice echoed through the room.

"Death Eater attack on London! Come quickly!"

IIIII::::IIIII

Not much for now. More next time!


End file.
